Aura Snape Series
by princessofthepearl2121
Summary: This is the complete Aurelia Snape Series, but revised. I will be adding more chapters soon. The full summary will be inside. Books 1-7 including epilogue and maybe even a bit more. Also a bit of the HP characters pasts. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Letter

Aurelia Amethyst Snape walked happily alongside the Malfoy's as they entered Diagon Alley. She and Draco were starting Hogwarts this year and they were both extremely excited.

Aura and Draco had always been best friends, but now she was nervous she wouldn't be in the same House as him. Draco, apparently, could sense her nerves and said, "Relax, we're going to Hogwarts!"

Aura smiled over at him and merely nodded in response as they made their way to the Apothecary to get their cauldrons and potions necessities first.

"Look at this, Draco!" Aura said, pointing to a golden cauldron and stirring rod once they were inside.

"Wish I could have one of those, but they melt easily." Draco said wistfully.

"Yeah, but they are really pretty." Aura said, taking one of the standard cauldrons.

After getting their ingredients, Mr. Malfoy excused himself to go to Knockturn Alley, that her father had said if she ever went there she would be grounded until the day she came of age or even longer.

With Mr. Malfoy gone, Aura and Draco went into Madame Malkin's while Mrs. Malfoy went to get their books next door.

"Hogwarts, dear?" The same plump witch asked.

"Yes, standard robes and the full uniform for both of us as well as two heavy winter cloaks." Aura said, getting up on a stool while Draco did the same.

Aura slipped into the back to choose the color for one of her cloaks and Draco turned to the boy that had just entered the shop.

"Hello, Hogwarts too?" Draco asked, taking in the boy's appearance.

"Yeah." The small boy answered.

"My mother's next door buying my books, and my friend just went into the back to choose colors for our extra cloaks. Where're your parents?" Draco asked, not seeing the lightning bolt scar covered by his fringe.

"They're dead." Harry answered, not wanting to go into detail.

"Draco, I think this color will look nice on you." Aura said, holding up a dark blue fabric that contrasted nicely with his pale skin.

"That's a Ravenclaw color." Draco drawled, raising a pale eyebrow.

"It honestly doesn't matter, Draco, you can wear any color you like on weekends and on breaks." Aura retorted, looking at the one she had chosen for herself, ivory colored.

"Fine, then that one, I guess." He said, honestly not caring.

"The rest standard, is that correct, dear?" The witch asked kindly as Aura stepped back up onto the stool.

"Yes, that's correct. Who are you?" Aura asked, looking over at Harry and meeting his emerald eyes.

"I'm a new student at Hogwarts." Harry said, avoiding her eyes.

"Were your parents _our_ kind or the other?" Draco asked, not meeting Aura's eyes that were now blazing with anger.

"If you meant are they magical, then yes." Harry answered, disliking the boy more and more.

"Which House do you think you'll be in?" Aura asked, breaking the tension between them.

"I don't know." Harry answered stupidly.

"I think I'll be in Slytherin, my entire family has been in Slytherin. It's a Malfoy tradition." Draco answered the question for him.

"I have no clue either." Aura said, motioning for Draco to carry the packages that were charged to their Gringotts accounts.

As he left to carry the packages Aura said, "I do think that you'll be in a good House, though. My father is Head of Slytherin House so there's an extremely good chance I'll be there too." Aura whispered to him, giving him a small smile and walking over to Draco as they exited the shop together.

They met Mrs. Malfoy coming up the street, hanging on Mr. Malfoy's arm and they waved them over to where they were.

"I've gotten your books and Lucius has the rest of your supplies so now all that's left is your wands." Mrs. Malfoy said seriously to both of them.

They went towards Ollivander's where Draco's wand had just chosen him. He had a fine 10" hawthorn wood wand with a unicorn hair core and now it was Aura's turn.

She tried a few of the wands Ollivander gave her, but none of them worked for her. The last wand he gave her was made of ebony and a dragon heartstring core with a phoenix feather welded into the core as well and it worked perfectly. Aura felt a sort of warmth when she held it and as soon as she moved it blue, green, and silver sparks flew out of it.

"Interesting…very interesting…" Ollivander said as he circled her. "It is interesting that the wand identical to your father's should not work for you, yet the combination combined with a phoenix feather works perfectly." He finished, staring at her in a way that gave her the creeps.

Aura was saved from the rest of the speech by Mr. Malfoy who insisted they leave immediately for a 'special appointment' they were late for.

Aura soon floo'ed back to Prince Manor after saying her goodbyes.

_A/N:_

_I am rewriting this entire story and I want to know if the rewrite or the original was better. I will upload new chapters at least once a week since I am very busy. Hopefully, this one is better than the original since I am putting more time and getting more creative with it. _

_Please Read and Review!!!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

King's Cross

Aura was ready to get to Hogwarts by 10:00 and her father was irritated already because of the overexcited house-elves. "Do you have everything?" Her father asked her for probably the millionth time since she had gone downstairs.

"Yes."

"Hold onto my arm Aura, we're Apparating there." He said, taking her trunk as she held Noaptae firmly.

Aura landed without any problems as she was used to Side-Along Apparition. Her father took hold of her wrist and shrunk his robes as he walked towards the platform in an all-black muggle suit. Aura attracted many stares from the muggles and she barely even noticed this.

Even at only eleven years old, Aura was beautiful with her waist-length black hair that was slightly wavy and black eyes with sharp cheekbones like her father, but with her mother's features and her father's elegant hands. She was as tall as Draco and had a slim figure that was noticeable since she was only wearing a white turtleneck top with a navy blue skirt, white stockings, and navy blue boots with a beret to match.

"Aura, I need you to lean against the wall between platforms 9 and 10 and make sure the muggles don't see you disappear." He said sternly, waiting for Aura to disappear through to the other platform until he followed her through.

"Bye Daddy." Aura said, embracing her father as she took her trunk from him.

Aura looked around for Draco and slipped into the compartment quietly, excited to get to Hogwarts already.

"Can you believe it, Draco? We're actually going!" Aura said, inching closer to Draco as two overlarge boys entered the compartment. Her first impression of them was stupid and obeast.

"Aura, these are my friends Crabbe and Goyle, I told you they had come over during the summer. Crabbe, Goyle, this is Aura she's Professor Snape's daughter." Draco added as an afterthought.

They settles in for a long ride and Aura soon started conversing with the two boys who had just entered instead.

"Theodore Nott." A boy with golden brown hair and brown eyes said, smiling at her.

"Blaise Zabini, I don't like being left out of introductions." A boy with hair almost as black as her own said, kissing her hand playfully.

"I'm Aura." She said, leaving out her last name purposely.

Soon it was time for lunch and Aura was about to go to the lunch trolley when Draco stood up and pulled her a little ways from the compartment.

"Do you mind acting a little like the pureblood you are?" Draco said coldly.

"What is your problem, Draco?" Aura retorted, angry at him for ignoring her.

"Stop acting like such a little mudblood!" Draco hissed at her.

Aura grew so infuriated that she slapped him straight across the face and then grabbed her things, slamming the door in his face.

She saw the boy from Madame Malkin's in a compartment a little ways from where she was and she walked over there.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" Aura asked, looking at a red-haired boy who was stuffing his mouth with candy.

"Not at all." The boy said, smiling at her.

"You never did tell me your name." Aura said once she had put her things down.

"This is Harry Potter." The boy across from Aura said importantly.

"Harry Potter? Are you really?"

"Yeah, yeah I am." Harry said, blushing a bit.

"Our parents have a bit of history, I'm afraid. Who're you?" She said, then turned to the red-haired boy across from her.

"Ron Weasley." He said between mouthfuls of Cauldron Cakes.

"I've heard about your brothers, Fred and George, is it?" Aura asked.

"Yeah."

"They're a menace, my father absolutely hates them!" Aura exclaimed, and then she started recounting a story her father had told her, and by the time it finished, she had them both in tears.

"That's bloody brilliant, I have to try that!" Ron exclaimed, once he could speak properly.

"I honestly hope you won't try that on me." Aura said scornfully.

"What House d'you wanna be in?" Ron asked.

"I think I might be a Ravenclaw, but I'm counting on Slytherin." Aura said, watching his eyes turn stormy.

"All Slytherins go dark. It's You-know-who's own House, they all join him." Ron said, avoiding her eyes.

"My entire family has been in Slytherin, it's not a dark House. My father's the Head of Slytherin, so I do know a bit about that." Aura said, looking over at Harry with a silent plea of support.

Ron shook his head at Aura, not believing a word she had said about good Slytherins.

"It's true!" Aura said fervently.

"No, sorry." Harry said, smiling kindly at her.

At that moment the compartment door opened again and Draco came in with the two boys, Crabbe and Goyle, on either side of him.

"Is it true? Everyone's saying Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, isn't it?" Draco asked, looking Harry up and down.

"Yes." Harry replied, shying away from Crabbe and Goyle.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," he said, indicating the two boys on either side of him. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." He said, shooting a look at Aura that she couldn't decipher.

Ron gave a slight cough which sounded more like a chuckle and Draco instantly rounded on him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasley's have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

"Don't speak to him that way, Draco." Aura said, looking at him angrily.

"What do you have to do with this, mudblood?" Draco retorted, seizing Aura's hand just as she was about to slap him again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Sorting

"Don't you dare, Draco! Don't you dare call me that!" She shouted at him, wrenching free of his grasp.

"Why not, it's what you are!" He shouted back, seizing both of her hands.

"I'm no mudblood!" She retorted, trying to free herself again.

Everything seemed to pass in slow motion from then. Ron jumped to her defense, pushing Draco to the ground and Harry freed Aura and put himself in front of her to shield her.

"You'll regret this, you really will!" Draco shouted to her, exiting the compartment and slamming the door.

"Aura, you okay?" Harry asked her, noticing that she was crying.

"I'm f-fine." She said, leaning into Harry's arm that was around her.

"Why did Malfoy call you a mud---that word?" Ron asked, stopping himself before saying the word.

"My father's a half-blood because he had a muggle father and a pure-blood mother, so that makes me a half-blood because my grandfather is a muggle. My mother was also a half-blood, her mother was a muggle." Aura said, looking straight into Harry's green eyes.

"What does that word mean?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Mudblood means dirty blood, it's a rather nasty way to refer to someone with muggle ancestry or a muggleborn. Someone like me." Aura said, lowering her head.

A girl with rather bushy hair entered the compartment at that moment and said, "Has anyone seen a toad, Neville's lost one?"

"No, sorry." Aura answered, quickly wiping her eyes.

"You'd best get your robes on, the conductor says we're nearly there." She said before leaving the compartment.

The three pulled off their jackets and put on the robes and Aura made sure to fix her hair as best as she could before getting down at Hogsmeade station where they could see Hagrid, Aura commented rather nastily at his size, waving and calling for the first years.

They followed Hagrid down a steep and narrow path until they got to a shimmering lake where they could see Hogwarts castle.

"Let's get in that boat." Aura said, pointing to a boat where the bushy-haired girl was in that was the only one left.

They were all silent as they glided across the smooth surface of the lake, the castle towering over them from the cliff on which it stood.

They were soon able to get down from the boats and Aura looked around her while Professor McGonagall gave a speech to all of them.

When they were able to enter the Hall Aura smiled as she saw her father scowling at the entire student population as they entered. She walked behind the girl from the train with Harry and Ron on either side of her like bodyguards. There was a large patched hat on a stool in front of the staff table and aura watched in awe as it opened it's brim and began to sing.

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, _

_But don't judge on what you see, _

_I'll eat myself if you can find _

_A smarter hat than me. _

_You can keep your bowlers black, _

_Your top hats sleek and tall, _

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can top them all. _

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see, _

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be. _

_You might belong in Gryffindor, _

_Where dwell the brave at heart, _

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff, _

_Where they are just and loyal, _

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, _

_If you've a ready mind, _

_Where those of wit and learning, _

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin _

_You'll make your real friends, _

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends. _

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Aura clapped along with the other first years and waited patiently for McGonagall to call her name. She watched as Millicent Bulstrode became a Slytherin and then as Draco was called up and he became a Slytherin as well. Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson also became Slytherins and at last Harry became a Gryffindor.

"Snape, Aurelia!" McGonagall called out, as the Hall became silent.

Aura could feel everyone's eyes on her as she sat down on the stool and McGonagall put the hat on her head.

"_Very difficult. Aurelia Amethyst Snape, the daughter of Severus Snape, he too, was hard to place. Ravenclaw would give you numerous opportunities. You have Slytherin's gift though, and his blood in you. The heir to Salazaar Slytherin and the Prince family."_

"_Somewhere I'll fit in, somewhere I'll belong." Aura thought, staring at the black brim of the hat. _

"_Very well." _

"Better be…SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted and the entire Slytherin table erupted in cheers as she made their way towards them.

One look at her father told her that he was pleased and she smiled even wider, taking her seat next to Theodore Nott. She watched the rest of the Sorting, Ronald Weasley became a Gryffindor and Blaise Zabini became a Slytherin.

Aura started chatting animatedly with Theodore, laughing with him as Dumbledore announced the start of the feast.

"Is he a bit mad?" She asked a tall boy who was sitting in front of her.

"A bit. They say Dumbledore's gone 'round the bend' since the Dark Lord's fall. I'm Marcus Flint, Quidditch captain." The boy said, shaking Aura's hand.

"Aurelia Snape." She said, ignoring him in favor of talking to Theodore again.

Once the feast was over, she turned her attention to Dumbledore, who was speaking. He went on and on about the Forbidden Forest and third-floor corridor. Until finally, he let everyone go to their common rooms.

She followed the prefects Marcus Flint, and Carrie Warrington, to the common room deep in the dungeons. When all the years had finally settled down it was about an hour before curfew. Aura's father came in, robes billowing behind him. Silence fell in the common room as soon as it was clear he was going to start speaking.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Classes and Curfews

"You have all had the honor of being sorted into the noble house of Slytherin. Our house has a dark history but, that is a stereotype. Outside of this common room you will put on a united front and help any fellow Slytherin being ridiculed or hurt. If any of you ever does something worthy of a detention and deducting many points, I will not give it to you in class. However, I will call you in for a little chat later. You will be assigned whatever duty necessary, then. My daughter has recently come to Hogwarts, I hope you can all make her feel welcome. If anyone wishes to discuss anything you may come to my office later on. Aura, come." He finished, leaving the room with his robes billowing once again. Aura followed her father, nearly having to run to be able to keep up with him. Once in his office her father turned his scowl into a look of concern.

"How did everything go?"

"Fine."

"It doesn't sound fine."

"Malfoy called me a mudblood several times in front of both Harry and Ron and he grabbed my wrists so hard it actually hurt." Aura said, leaning against her father.

"Where is Draco?"

"Don't talk to him, please. It'll make things worse."

"It doesn't matter, he'll get a well-earned detention."

"Daddy, please." Aura said, knowing her father couldn't resist letting her have her way once she called him daddy.

"If he says anything else, one insult, you're coming straight to me, understand?"

"Yes, daddy." Aura answered, leaving his office quickly, not wanting to be caught after curfew on her first night there.

As luck would have it she got lost after taking a few turns, and ran straight into a Gryffindor prefect.

"What're you doing out of bed after curfew?" The boy asked. Aura noticed immediately that he had red hair and blue eyes like Ron, only he had the exception of horn-rimmed glasses.

"Sorry, I don't know my way around yet. Could you help me get back to the Slytherin common room.

"After you answer my question."

"I was talking to my father."

"No parents are allowed here."

"My father works here."

"I highly doubt that." He said.

"Mr. Weasley. What are you doing in the dungeons?" Aura heard her father say from behind the boy.

"Professor McGonagall said to take the dungeon shift tonight. The other Slytherins are near the kitchens." the boy said, looking slightly afraid.

"Aura, this is Percy Weasley. He is a Gryffindor prefect, in his fifth year. Now might I inquire as to why you were stopping my daughter or refusing to help her?"

"I thought she was planning mischief sir. She said she didn't know how to get back to her common room."

"A first-year, Weasley. She's been here for a few hours.

Come Aura, I'll take you back to the common room. I have a few words for Mr. Malfoy as well." Since her father had used that tone she knew better than to argue, she quickly matched his long strides, and they were back at the common room in no time.

"'_Atrum'_," he said as she arrived at the portrait guarding the common room. Her father made sure she was inside before closing the portrait and walking off.

When Aura got inside, however the common room was empty of all years except for the sixth and seventh years. A few nodded towards her in acknowledgement, and others called out her name.

She smiled politely at them and simply went upstairs to her dorm where Pansy and Millicent were fussing over their accessories for the first day.

"Why don't you wear a bow with one of our House colors?" Aura suggested, watching as Pansy screwed up her face in disgust at the idea and simply shook her head.

"That's actually a good idea. I'm Millicent Bulstrode." The other girl said kindly.

"Aurelia Snape. I prefer to be called Aura." Aura said, shaking her hand.

They spent awhile talking amongst themselves while Pansy ignored them and soon they went to bed, eager for the next day to come.

_A/N:_

_This is a very short chapter because the good stuff will start from now on. I am trying to keep it close to canon but adding my own stuff in. I know that the original story I wrote was basically just copying the book through the eyes of a new character so I will try to be creative. The easiest books to write about are Chamber of Secrets, Goblet of Fire, and Half-Blood Prince. Those are the ones I will finish fastest on and I hope I do get reviews on these stories. \I really want to know if they are any good because I am writing a book that I want to get published called Destiny. _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

First Day of Class

Aura was up and ready around breakfast time so she went down to the Great Hall and saw Draco there waiting for her. She decided that if she had to talk to him that she wouldn't eat anything at all. When she saw harry and Ron, however, she waved them over and said, "Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Sure, we're just going in." Harry said, smiling at her.

"I'm not sitting with Slytherin." Ron said, glaring at her.

"We'll sit with Gryffindor then. I'll do anything to escape talking to Malfoy again." Aura told him, not really caring.

So when she walked in, Draco was determined not to let it stop him.

"Aura, I need to talk to you." He said, his pale eyes hard.

"Move, Malfoy, I have nothing to say to you." Aura said, trying to push past him.

"Leave her alone, Malfoy." Harry said, glaring at him.

"Bugger off." Ron said, putting himself in front of her to protect her, as Harry had done on the train.

"Fine. Be like that." Draco said, nearly slamming the door to the Great Hall.

Even though Draco was already at the Slytherin table, Ron and Harry kept watch for him while Aura nibbled on a piece of toast.

"Not hungry?" Harry asked her.

"No, I've lost my appetite." Aura responded, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Let's go to class, then." Harry said, getting up while Ron finished two more English muffins.

"What classes do you have today?" Aura asked him curiously.

"Transfiguration, History of Magic, Herbology, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions." Harry read off his timetable.

"I have History of Magic, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, Defense, and Potions. I wonder who decided to pair up Slytherin and Gryffindor for Potions?" Aura mused.

"I think it was Professor Dumbledore."

"Whoever it was, my father will most certainly be pissed today in Potions. He always says Slytherin/Gryffindor classes are the worst." Aura said, recalling the prank the Weasley twins had pulled.

Aura and Harry said their goodbyes after breakfast, Ron ignoring them pointedly as they did so. Aura walked quickly to History of Magic, unfortunately the only empty seat when she got there was next to Draco.

Groaning inwardly, the sat as far away from him as possible and ignored the twinge she felt when he looked at her with his eyes betraying his hurt.

Since Binns was obviously too immersed in his lesson, Draco flicked Aura a note since she wouldn't talk to him.

_You won't talk to me, so I have to try a new strategy. -D_

_I won't talk to you because you're the biggest prat in the world! -A_

_I'm sorry I called you a mudblood, I didn't mean it. -D_

_You're NOT forgiven! -A_

_Aura, please, just talk to me, I miss you. -D_

_You hurt me by calling me a mudblood, why should I? -A_

_Because you're quite possibly the best and only true friend I've ever had that doesn't want to be around me for money or power, I mean, we've known each other since we were babies. -D_

_Draco, I can't just act like nothing happened. What if you call me that again? -A_

_I swear I won't. I would never do anything like that again, I was stupid and I'm sorry. -D_

_Talk to me after classes and maybe I'll forgive you. –A_

Inside, deep, deep, down, Aura knew that she could never be angry with him for too long. She would forgive him once the day passed and he realized how stupid it was to call her that. She would teach him that she was not someone to play around with.

After History of Magic, Aura headed to Transfiguration where McGonagall gave them a talking-to the minute they were all present. They were soon given a match to turn into a needle and by the end of class, only Aura had made a difference in her match, it was a perfect needle.

"Stay behind, Aurelia." McGonagall said, once the class was dismissed.

"Yes, professor?" Aura asked, wanting to get to Charms.

"You, my dear, have a natural aptitude for Transfiguration. I never expected any first year to make the match a perfect needle in less than three tries. I will have to speak to Severus about this, you may be a natural Animagus as well. Or were you simply taught previously?" She asked, giving her a knowing look.

"My father did teach me the basics of every subject and a few spells." Aura admitted.

"He did well, then. Go to your next class, Aurelia, tell them you were with me."

"It's Aura." She said, taking off for class, as she only had a few minutes to get there.

Aura was late by about a minute and reprimanded by Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House.

"I'm sorry, Professor Sprout, I was with Professor McGonagall, she kept me after class." Aura said upon entering.

"Very well, here, dear, you can pair up with Neville." She said, pointing to a pudgy boy at the far end of the greenhouse who looked miserable with no partner.

"Hi, Neville." Aura said kindly to him. "D'you mind being my partner?"

"S-sure, I mean-n-not at all." He said, stuttering horribly as Aura smiled at him.

"What are we supposed to do?" She asked, looking at the four plants in front of her.

"Identify the plants, the one on the far right is dittany." Neville said, motioning for her to identify one.

"I know the one on the far left is hellebore, and would the two in the middle be Devil's Snare and Gurdyroot?" Aura asked, recognizing the plants.

"Yeah, how d'you know?"

"My father is a Potions Master, he's taught me a bit about the plants needed and the subject itself." Aura told him before turning her attention to Professor Sprout.  
"Time's up! Neville and Aurelia you can continue since you were late."

"There's no need, Professor, we've already identified them." Aura responded.

"Well then, please tell me the names of the plants from left to right."

"Hellebore, Devil's Snare, Gurdyroot, and Dittany." Aura said, pointing to each one.

"Correct! Full marks, Miss Snape, Mr. Longbottom." Professor Sprout said happily before lecturing them on the plants.

"What is one property of Dittany and one of Hellebore?"

"Miss Snape."

"Dittany has healing properties and has always been believed to have magical powers. Hellebore is commonly used in potions such as the Draught of Peace." Aura said, remembering her lessons.

"Correct, take 10 points for Slytherin House." Sprout said, continuing her lecture.

Once the class had finished, Aura gathered her books and headed to Charms where she was the first to levitate her feather and got another five points for Slytherin.

Defense was the biggest joke ever so she sat with the boy named Blaise Zabini and they talked all lesson long, gossiping about Quirrell.

Potions took place in one of the dungeons. It was taught by Aura's father, Professor Snape. She had run to the dungeons and took her seat next to Pansy again. Snape, like Flitwick, had started by taking roll call, and like Flitwick he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new--_celebrity_. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, all sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.

His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they were absent of the warmth and kindness. Instead, they made you think of never-ending pools of onyx or dark tunnels. Aura shivered involuntarily, her father like this scared her. Usually he was kind and understanding, but he couldn't do that in class.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word. He, like McGonagall had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with it's shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses….I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death--if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Silence followed his speech. Harry and Ron glanced at each other with raised eyebrows, and Hermione was on the edge of her seat, ready to prove herself.

"Potter!" He said suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

'So easy.' Aura thought, 'It makes the Draught of Living Death.' Hermione's hand had shot up into the air as soon as her father had finished speaking.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

The Professor's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut--fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high in the air as she could, without leaving her seat. Harry was clueless about this though, and Malfoy was shaking with laughter.

"I don't know sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Harry kept looking straight into her father's eyes, determined to not let him show him up.

He was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"I don't know," Harry said quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed, but the Professor was not pleased. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you form most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down. And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter.

Things did not get better for Gryffindor by the end of the lesson, actually they got worse. Neville melted Seamus' cauldron, which ended up in everyone standing on their stools to avoid the mess.

When class ended, Aura wisely left quickly instead of hanging around. As luck would have it Malfoy was waiting outside for her again.

"I told you I would speak to you after classes, isn't that enough?" Aura asked him, exasperated.

"I wanted to talk to you now. Please, forgive me, I'm sorry." Draco said, his eyes pleading with her.

"Draco--"

"Please, Aura."

"Okay, I forgive you, but don't ever call me that again. You know perfectly well I'm a half-blood."

"Don't worry, I'll never make the same mistake again." Draco said, embracing her.

"Come on, let's get to our common room." Draco said, taking her hand.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Flying

The rest of the week was pretty much the same, until one day that Harry asked her to join him for tea at Hagrid's.

"You're insane, Harry! He's vicious!" Aura exclaimed when he asked her.

"Come on, Hagrid's really nice. I promise." Harry said, begging her.

"If anything happens it's your fault, Potter." Aura said, going to her classes.

As promised, she met him after class and she went down to Hagrid's hut with him and Ron.

"'ello Harry." Hagrid said, motioning them in.

"Hagrid, this is Aura and that's Ron." Harry said, gesturing to them.

"Another Weasley, eh? I spend half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest. Is yer other friend muggleborn?" Hagrid asked, looking at her.

"Goodness, no. I'm Professor Snape's daughter." She said, watching as Hagrid nearly choked on his tea.

"Snape's daughter? Yer best not be getting' into the same trouble as he did when he was 'ere." Hagrid said, looking her over. "Now I've thought 'bout it you do look like 'im."

The subject of Aura's father was never broached again until they said they goodbyes and Aura looked over the grounds to find her father standing under one of the trees by the lake.

"Bye Harry, bye Ron. My father's probably waiting for me." Aura said, running towards where he was.

"Hi daddy." Aura said, once she had reached him.

"Hagrid's hut?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Harry invited me." Aura offered as an explanation.

"Potter." Her father said it as a curse.

"Why do you hate him, Daddy?" Aura asked curiously.

"James Potter made my life hell when I was a student here. Besides, Aura, I can't actually like the Dark Lord's mortal enemy, now can I?" He asked, mirth in his eyes.

"I wish you didn't have to spy." Aura said, leaning into her father as they walked back to the castle.

* * *

Aura woke up early the next day, eager for her first flying lesson and she practically dragged Draco out of bed, since he was tired from being up late the night before.

"Come on, Draco." Aura urged him, wanting him to hurry up so they could get to class already.

By the time the flying lessons came, it was noon and all the Gryffindors were complaining. The lesson would have gone by smoothly if not for Neville having fallen off his broom. When Madam Hooch left to take him to the hospital wing, Draco and a few other Slytherins started laughing.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?!"

"Shut up Malfoy." Parvati Patil snapped.

"I never thought _you'd _like fat little crybabies, Parvati." Pansy sneered at her.

"Look," said Draco, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Draco smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find---how about---up a tree?"

"Give it _here_!" Harry yelled, but Draco had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. Hovering in the air he yelled,

"Come and get it Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom as Hermione tried to stop him. Ignoring her, he climbed onto his broom and got to Draco's level.

"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh yeah?" said Draco, trying to imitate her father's sneer.

As this happened, Aura got onto her broom as well and soared up to his level.

"Throw it Draco!" She shouted to him, just as Harry turned to take it from him. As soon as the words left her mouth he hurled it towards the ground, Aura and Harry swooped down at the same time, and just centimeters from the ground, Aura grabbed it and pulled up. Harry came in from the side unexpectedly and snatched it from her.

"HARRY POTTER AND AURELIA SNAPE!" Professor McGonagall called. Aura could see her father behind her and both were rushing towards them. They both started talking at the same time,

"You could have broken your neck! Such dives are not meant for first years! The only good thing that came out of this is that you're both going to become new seekers. I've never seen such raw talent." Professor McGonagall said as she straightened her robes.

"Aura, my office at eight. Do not be late. We'll talk about this then." Her father said before he walked back inside.

Professor McGonagall led them back inside and popped inside a classroom for a minute and asked, "Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood and Flint for a moment please." While this was going on Harry and Aura were silently arguing.

"Aura you're just as bad as all the others."

"Harry, we were having a little fun. Draco wasn't about to steal the Remembrall or anything."

"Ridiculing someone is fun?"

"Harry come on! Was that your first time on a broom by the way?"

"Yeah. Flying must be in my family."

"It was my first as well. Flying is in both our families. Our fathers were rival seekers."

"Rival what?"

"Wood will explain about Quidditch later. Seeker is the position they want us to play. We'll be rivals as well."

"I can't believe it I thought I was going to get expelled."

"I'm definitely going to at least get scolded later. My father was furious."

"I can't believe he's your father. I mean come on! Snape a father?"

"He's a great dad. Harry, he puts on a mask and hides his emotions behind it when he's teaching."

"I'll take your word for it. So are you and Malfoy friends or something?"

"I've known Draco since we were babies. I've spent loads of time at Malfoy Manor. The rumors about his family aren't true Harry. Not by a long shot."

"Again, I'll take your word for it." Harry said as she rolled her eyes.

"Wood, Flint. I've found your new seekers. Take them for training later on today when all the classes are finished. Aura already knows much about Quidditch. Harry, you'll have to explain things to. Good Luck."

After what seemed like an hour-long discussion, Aura and Harry made their way towards the Great Hall for dinner. After many shocked looks from Draco, Aura was finally done explaining everything.

Draco later walked over to the Gryffindor table and beckoned her to follow. Aura stood up and followed. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked." She heard Draco say before she got there.

"What happened?" She said looking at Draco suspiciously.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Wizard's Duel

"We're having a Wizard's Duel."

"Draco if my father catches you…."

"Your father loves me."

"Hmff. Who are you choosing as your second?"

"Ron's my second." Harry said as he glared at Draco specifically.

"Aura? Would you be my second?"

"Fine. If we're caught though, being expelled with be the last of your worries, Malfoy." She said as he put up his hands in mock defeat.

"Ok, Ok. Come on let's get back to the common room." He said as he took Aura's hand and they made their way towards the dungeons.

Later on that evening Draco told her he was going to get them caught by Filch. Aura swore she'd have nothing to do with this so she simply shook her head and went to see what her father would say about the broom incident today.

As she knocked on the door she heard a barely audible, "Enter," from the other side. Pushing open the door she braced herself for the worst. After her father had cast many privacy and silencing spells he turned on her concern and fury evident in his eyes.

"Dad before you say anything-"

"You could have died! I never let you ride a broom because of the danger, yet you go ahead and jump on one without even having one lesson! Do you know what would have happened had you pulled out of the dive one second later!"

"Daddy, Draco taught me how to do those dives at Malfoy Manor. His father taught us everything about Quidditch. I already knew how to ride a broom. The only thing is that Professor Dumbledore approves Harry and I having brooms. Please dad. I really want to be the seeker."

"Aura-One injury and you're off the team. I won't risk you nearly dying at every match. I swear you'll give me grey hair by the time you finish your O.W.L.'s."

"Thanks dad." Aura said jumping off her chair to hug her father.

"Go back to the common room. If you run across any prefects, send them to me, unless they're from Slytherin." Aura heard her father say before she shut the door. She had made it half-way back when,

"Wandering around again? You have no business being outside of the common room at this hour." Percy Weasley said from behind her.

"Sod off Weasley. My father wanted to speak to me. And if I feel like it then I will stand out here until curfew. There's no bloody rules against it." Aura said turning around to face the surprised prefect.

"You heard her, Weasley. Sod off." Marcus Flint said from behind her. "You better get back to your room we're practicing at twelve tomorrow. You need to get your rest." He said to Aura, as she nodded and started in the direction of their common room.

Harry and Ron were never caught so the whole thing blew

over. Aura was furious with Draco and sent several death glares his way.

A week later when it was time for the mail to arrive, two broom-shaped packages flew in, one towards the Slytherin table, and one towards the Gryffindor table. In Aura's package there was a note that said:

_Do not Open this Parcel at the Table._

_Your new Nimbus Two-Thousand is inside. I don't want the entire first year population begging for one as well. Meet Marcus Flint on the Quidditch Pitch at eight for practice. Wear a robe, long-sleeve shirt, scarf, gloves, and boots. It will be cold tonight. _

_Good Luck_

_Severus Snape_

Aura handed the note to Draco who looked at her with envy.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand! I've only got a Comet Two Sixty."

"One of the many benefits of having a father who's Head of Slytherin House." Aura said as she smirked at him. "Come on, I want to unwrap it before class." She said as she got up, dragging Draco with her.

She got to the common room about ten minutes before class so she only had time to rush upstairs and put the broom under her bed carefully, and then grab her school bag and leave.

"Ugh! Come on Draco, we have to wait until tonight. We have class in eight minutes."

They rushed to class barely getting there before the bell rang and Professor McGonagall entered. All through lessons she kept on letting her mind drift back to the broom her father had gotten her.

During dinner she barely ate and, once she had eaten enough and talked a bit with her housemates, she rushed to her dorm room. The first thing she did was put on black pants, an emerald green turtleneck and her black cloak. Upon remembering her father's warning, Aura slipped on her most comfortable black boots and took her scarf and gloves with her as well. After tying her hair back with a black band that blended into her hair she grabbed her broomstick, and finally unwrapped it.

She gasped as she saw the mahogany handle, and neat twigs at the end. It was the most beautiful broom she had seen. Nimbus Two Thousand was written on the handle in gold.

Aura ran out to the Quidditch Pitch, keeping a tight hold on her broom, as she ran. She sat down in the Slytherin stands and saw Oliver Wood trying to teach Harry the basics of Quidditch. Harry had caught the snitch again but, what she saw this time made her gasp.

Harry had dived down and swooped up at the last second when he stood up and grabbed the snitch. Without thinking she clapped for him, as soon as she saw he had caught it. Wood turned towards the sound and once he caught sight of her he was furious. Jumping on his broom he flew up towards her.

"What are you doing?" He practically spat at Aura.

"I'm just watching. I came out here early and-"

"And you're probably recording everything to tell the Slytherin team." Wood accused.

"No-I-" Aura started but was cut off by Harry.

"She's a friend of mine. We met on the Hogwarts Express." Harry said as he looked at Aura.

Wood simply arched an eyebrow and said,

"We don't trust Slytherins. They're in that house for a reason. It's the same house You-know-who came from. They're all going down the same path." Wood said to Harry, while glaring at Aura. "Get off the pitch and I won't tell McGonagall."

"You don't own the pitch, I'll get off when I bloody well feel like it. And if you even try to tell McGonagall, I'll tell my father!" Aura shouted, as her temper began to flare.

"It's time for you to be getting of the pitch anyways, Wood. Save your energy for the game instead of yelling at first-years." Marcus Flint said from behind her.

"We booked the pitch-"

"You booked it until eight. I have a signed note from our Head of House. It's eight o' three, now move." Flint said, moving in front of Aura.

"Fine, come on Harry. We don't want to spend more time than necessary with them anyways." Wood said as he turned back towards the school. Harry followed him, looking back at Aura once more.

"You're a real trouble magnet aren't you little one?" Flint said looking at Aura. She simply grinned and got onto her broom. "Let's see how well you can do." He said as he let loose the practice snitch.

Aura spent all of four hours catching the snitch. She had caught it at least fifty times before Flint called time-out.  
"Some of us need our sleep," he started. "Others need more practice. Aura is our official new seeker, and we have an amazing team. Her skill will match Potter's any day. Get a good night's sleep before the match on Saturday, and eat light meals. Good luck." Flint said as they turned towards the school.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Halloween

On Halloween morning, Aura woke to the smell of pumpkin pie. It filled the corridors and every nook and cranny in the castle.

In Charms Professor Flitwick had announced they were going to start making objects fly. Aura had been delighted, at this, as it was something they had all been dying to do for weeks. Aura was paired with Gregory Goyle though.

"So, you're Malfoy's friend huh?" Goyle had asked while Aura was performing her charm.

"Yes, I am."

"But you're a mudblood!"

"Call me that again…." She started until he held up his hands in mock-surrender. "I'm not muggleborn, I'm a half-blood."

"I've never heard of the Snape's."

"I come from the Prince bloodline. My grandmother was the last to carry the name."

"The Prince family is the richest-"

"Pureblood family in the entire wizarding world, I know."

"Wow." Goyle said as he tried the spell again.

By the end of the class, Hermione had been the first to get her feather to float, and Aura had been nearly tied with her.

* * *

At the Halloween feast, a thousand live bats swooped over the tables, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The food appeared suddenly as it had during the start-of-term feast when, Quirrell came sprinting into the Great Hall, a look of terror on his face and his turban lopsided.

"Troll----in the dungeons----thought you ought to know." He said as he slumped against the head table.

There was an uproar in the Great Hall and it took several spells erupting from the end of Dumbledore's wand to silence everyone.

"Prefects," he said, "lead your House back to the dormitories immediately. Teachers, to the dungeons." he said as he got up and everyone from the head table followed him.

Aura followed her House prefects back until she saw Harry and Ron running in the opposite direction. As quickly as she could without being noticed, she ran towards them. She grabbed Harry by his arm, before he yanked it out of her grip, causing her to fall backwards.

"Sorry, thought it was someone or something else." He said as he helped her up again.

"Are you two insane? You have to get back."

"Hermione doesn't know about the troll. It's Ron's fault that she's in the girl's bathroom, crying."

"I never meant to hurt her." Ron muttered, apparently looking uncomfortable.

"You two have to get a teacher."

"No, you sound like Hermione now."

"Harry! This is important. You can't take on a mountain troll!"

"It doesn't matter, we're going."

"I'm going to find my father."

"We saw your father stalking off towards the third-floor corridor. You know, the forbidden one. He's probably trying to steal whatever it is that dog's guarding." Ron said, rushing towards the bathroom.

"You saw the Cerberus?"

"The what?" They said simultaneously.

"Never mind, Ron come back, Harry you too! If we get killed because of you…"

"No one asked you to come." Ron retorted.

"I know more spells than you two." Aura shot right back.

She rushed after them, hearing a petrified scream. The troll was advancing on Hermione, and she had shrunk against the wall.

"Hermione move!" Harry shouted at her, gaining the troll's attention as it started to move towards him.

Aura took the opportunity to help the petrified girl up and they ducked as the troll swung at them, barely missing them.

"_Accio!"_ Aura shouted, moving her wand in the right formations, making the troll's club fly over her and Hermione.

"We need to get help now!" Aura shouted, both of them ducking and running outside, shutting the door rapidly.

They didn't have to look long for help, her father was coming up the hallway, limping.

"Daddy we need help! The troll's inside with Ron and Harry." Aura said, her face pale and her eyes wide.

"Stay with them, Severus." McGonagall said, rushing past them with Quirrell and Flitwick behind her.

"What were you thinking you could have been killed!?" Aura's father said, kneeling down to her height and looking her straight in the eyes, forgetting Hermione was even there.

"Harry dragged me into it! I saw them going off towards the bathrooms so I tried to stop them, but they dragged me into it!" Aura said, willing her father to believe her.

"Miss Granger, go with Professor McGonagall she will take you to your common room. Tell her I will come back and deal with the troll later." He said, carrying his daughter like one would carry a toddler.

Her father scowled at the incredulous looks he got from Ron and Harry when they saw him carrying her, and Aura fixed them with a glare that would have made her father proud.

Professor Snape was not really feeling up to facing questions from his Slytherins about now, so instead he took Aura to his quarters and put her in the room she usually used during term when she wasn't in school.

"Daddy, why are you limping?" Aura asked him, once she was ready for bed and he had sat down next to her.

"I went to check on the thing Dumbledore hid on the third floor and I met Quirrell along the way. The Cerberus bit me, when I was checking. Blasted pet of Hagrid's" He muttered. "How did you get that on your cheek?" He asked, inspecting the small gash.

"When the sinks were broken a piece of it scratched me. I was scared. Harry and Ron wanted me to stay and help them fight it, but I was the one who thought of getting help."

"I will deal with them later. I do believe you'll give me hair as white as Albus's before you've made it to fifth year. Go to sleep, now." He said, chuckling and kissing his daughter on the head before turning off the lights.

It had been a trying day for everyone.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The First Match

Aura was up early the day of the first Quidditch game and she was extremely nervous.  
"Hey." Draco said, guiding her to the fireplace.

"Hi Draco." Aura replied, sitting on the floor next to him.

"Nervous?" He asked, running his hands through her hair.

"Very." Aura answered, leaning against him.

"You'll be great." Draco said, looking into her onyx eyes.

Once it was almost time for the game to start, Aura took her broom and walked over to the changing rooms that had now been set up with dividers.

After hearing Flint's speech, they got ready to walk outside, but Aura was stopped by Flint.

"Good luck out there today, Aura, just try your best. If Potter catches the snitch, we'll still have the matches against Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, so it's not that big of a deal." He said, placing a hand on Aura's shoulder before guiding her to the very front of the line.

Aura was nearly holding her breath as she walked out to the center of the Pitch to where the Gryffindor team was heading as well.

"Shake hands, captains. Now, I want a good, clean game. That goes for all of you." Madam Hooch said as Aura gracefully mounted her broom.

As soon as the Quaffle was released, Aura flew over the Pitch lazily, waiting for the snitch to come into view.

The first few points were Gryffindor's but Slytherin soon caught up with them. Aura soon spotted the snitch and went racing towards it, she was right beside Harry who was reaching out for it when Derrick smacked into him and nearly knocked him off his broom. Aura pulled up, trying desperately to stay on and the entire crowd of Gryffindors was screaming for a foul.

"So---after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating---" Lee Jordan said from his place as the announcer.

"Jordan!" McGonagall growled at him.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul---"

"Jordan, I'm warning you---"

"All right, all right. Peregrine Derrick nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

The game continued for awhile with Slytherin in the lead by forty points, while Harry's broom was trying to buck him off. Aura was frightened, but she paid attention to the game, but when she fixed her eyes onto the teacher's stand she saw Quirrell muttering under his breath with his eyes fixed on Harry.

Aura drifted slowly over to the teacher's stand and she saw Hermione knock Quirrell over and set her father on fire with her wand. _'Idiot, Granger. He was trying to stop Quirrell.'_ She thought, rolling her eyes.

It was enough to get Harry back onto his broom, though, and he was speeding towards the ground. Aura gasped as he dropped down on all fours and coughed up the snitch.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it!" Flint exclaimed to both McGonagall and Dumbledore, but it made no difference. Harry had won for Gryffindor.

"Aura! Aura, wait up! D'you want to have tea with Hagrid again?" Harry said, running up to her.

"Okay, I'll go with you." She said, walking with him in silence to where Ron and Hermione were.

"Hello, Hagrid." Aura said, entering the hut where both Ron and Hermione glared at her.

"You shouldn't trust her, Harry. She's probably just an accomplice." Ron said nastily to her.

"An accomplice to what?"

"Snape, the slimy git, just tried to kill Harry." Ron said, glaring at her.

"I set fire to his robe to stop him." Hermione added.

"That's rubbish, my father would never do that, trust me, I know." Aura said, glaring at both of them.  
"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong! I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh---yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicholas Flamel---" Hagrid said, clamping a hand over his mouth as the three took off running from the hut to the castle.

"Thanks for sticking up for me and my father, Hagrid." Aura said, backing away as Hagrid's huge dog came near her.

"He won' hurt yeh." Hagrid said, watching as she warily came closer to Fang and patted his head.

"Bye, Hagrid." Aura said as her father limped towards the hut.

Aura grabbed her broom and met her father halfway up the path to the school.

"I saw Quirrell jinxing Harry's broom." Aura stated as soon as she reached him.  
"I've told Dumbledore, and he refuses to take action."

"Why?"

"For the 'greater good', as he puts it."

They walked up to the castle in silence, Draco joining them about halfway there, until Aura left to take an immediate shower so she could put on her newest outfit, that she was sure everyone would love.

_A/N:_

_Another short chapter, so sorry about that. I will make the next chapter longer and much more detailed, I promise. Coming up will be the Christmas season. _arry Harry'


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Christmas Hols

Soon it was the Christmas holidays. Snow covered the grounds like a majestic blanket. Nearly everyone had left for the holidays, including Aura. The Malfoy's had invited both her and her father, but he had declined. Her father had allowed her to go with the condition that she leave and return with Draco, not by herself.

On Christmas Eve, they were having a party where children were only allowed to stay until ten. She had donned her new midnight blue dress, which had an appropriate v-neck, and long sleeves, that were slit up to her elbow. Narcissa Malfoy had left Draco with Lucius, and she had fussed over Aura the entire day.

Aura had tried on about a hundred different necklaces, when Mrs. Malfoy found the right one. An obsidan black choker, bracelet, ring, earrings, headband, and broach. It was made out of onyx stones, beautifully designed.

When she was allowed to enter the sitting room, after about three hours of hair and make-up, she gasped. Draco looked very handsome with his white-blond hair slicked back, in contrast to his onyx dress robes. He was also wearing a midnight-blue dress shirt and he had a rose, charmed to be the same color as his shirt and her dress, in his robe pocket.

"Wow. You look-" Draco started.

"You too." Aura said as she smiled at him.

The guests were due to arrive in fifteen minutes. The elder Malfoys were elegantly dressed as well. Narcissa, in a blood red dress, with an appropriate v-neck and long sleeves that were wide from the elbow to the wrist. She was wearing silver jewelry that contrasted perfectly with her dress.

Lucius, was wearing black dress robes, much like Draco's but with a blood-red dress shirt underneath and a dark red rose. His hair was perfectly straightened, and hung down past his shoulders.

When the guests arrived their children were left with Draco and Aura, who chatted away happily with their friends. Dinner was served within an hour, and it was a small salad, a choice of roasted pork or lamb, treacle tart and a small piece of chocolate cake. The adults drank red wine, while the children drank tea.

When the dancing began, it was half-past eight. Pansy Parkinson was dancing with Gregory Goyle, while Millicent Bulstrode danced with Theodore Nott. They were both shooting desperate looks towards Draco. Blaise Zabini just shot a look at Aura that clearly read, dance with me.

Aura was watching the proceedings with an amused smirk, and sipping punch, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"May I have this dance?" Theodore Nott asked.

"You may." Aura said, putting her glass on the table.

She danced a few songs with Theo, and excused herself. She went back to the corner where Draco had taken residence, and stood next to him.

"Sulking?" Aura asked in an amused tone.

"I was watching. Crabbe and Goyle are rubbish at dancing. It looks like Pansy and Millicent are about to explode." Draco said as Aura giggled.

"You do know they were hoping to dance with you right?" She said as Draco shuddered. Giggling again, Aura took another sip of the punch.

"While I'm in the company of a beautiful young lady, would you dance with me?" Draco said, taking her hand in his, and bowing slightly to brush the tips of her fingers with his lips.

"I will." Aura said as they started towards the dance floor, hand-in-hand.

"You're good at dancing." Aura commented, letting him lead her.

"So are you." Draco said, taking the lead again as the waltz started.

They danced together for the remainder of the night, and Aura fell asleep instantly, dreaming of her long-lost family.

* * *

The next day was Christmas morning, and, as it was tradition to both their families, they had woken up at nine to start unwrapping presents.

Aura slipped on her green dress, with matching shoes, fixed her hair, and rushed into Draco's room, knocking only for propriety's sake, and seconds after running in. She ran over to him and started shaking him.

"Go 'way." Draco mumbled, pulling his pillow over his head.

"Draco get up!"

"M'tired."

"Draco Malfoy, get your lazy arse up this instant!"

"What d'you want?" he slurred.

"It's Christmas."

"What-oh! Sorry, um, forgot." He said with a sheepish smile.

"Well get up! I'll be downstairs." Aura said as she left.

Aura descended the stairs giving her hair a few extra pats for good measure.

"Good Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Happy Christmas!" Aura greeted them as she sat down. "Good Morning Aura, Happy Christmas." Mr. Malfoy said as he continued to red the Daily Prophet.

"Good Morning dear, don't mind him. He woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Happy Christmas." Mrs. Malfoy said, cheerfully, as Mr. Malfoy glared at her. Aura giggled at the exchange.

"I had all of your presents sent over from Prince manor. They're under the tree with Draco's. We opened ours last night." She said, gesturing to the enormous tree.

Draco came in at that moment, in a green turtleneck sweater, and he was wearing beige pants and shoes. His blonde hair was no longer the haystack it had been this morning. It was combed back, neatly.

"Happy Christmas mum, dad, Aura." he said as they echoed it.

Mrs. Malfoy gestured for them to start opening their gifts. Aura got money, clothes, and jewelry. Draco got money clothes, Quidditch gear, and a new broomstick.

There were two gifts left, and both Aura and Draco reached for them, opening them slowly. They were from her father. Draco opened his to reveal a purebred Siamese cat. It was white and silky.

In Aura's was a midnight black owl with a note tied to its leg. The note said:

Dearest Daughter,

I apologize I could not come with you to the Malfoy's. I had to brew countless potions for the hospital wing. I will see you when classes resume. If you want to send anyone letters I have sent you an owl. So many students have familiars and you and Draco should too.

Happy Christmas,

Severus Snape

"What're you naming your owl?" Draco asked.

"I think I'll name her Noaptae. What are you naming your cat?"

"Laika. Come on, let's go play in the snow."

"I'm going to change, be back in a minute." Aura said as she ran back upstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, they were outside making a snowman. Aura threw a snowball at Draco, all of a sudden.

"Hey!" Draco protested, wiping the snow off of him.

"Let's have a snowball fight!"

"I don't know…."

"Come on Dragon. My father and I always have them at home."

"Fine. But I get first throw!" He yelled as Aura ducked behind the snowman for protection.

They kept playing like this until a very agitated-looking house elf came to fetch them. They shared a knowing look and threw their snowballs at it.

"Master Draco and Mistress Aura are to be coming in for lunch." He croaked and then disapparated.

"Come on, Dragon. Let's go inside." Aura said in a disappointed voice, as they walked inside.

After a small lunch, they started on their school assignments.

The rest of the break was similar to this, until the last day. They were going into Diagon Alley.

Aura and Draco floo'ed there while Mr. Malfoy apparated. They were meeting at Florean Fortescue's in two hours, because Mr. Malfoy had to run an errand in Knockturn Alley and flat-out refused to take them.

"Come on Draco, let's go to Flourish and Blotts'."

Aura said. "We can come back to Quality Quidditch Supplies later." Aura dragged a reluctant Draco away from the store window.

When they entered Flourish and Blotts', Aura went straight to the rare books section.

"Aura look at this!" Draco said in an awed voice.

He was holding up an ancient diary. She took a few other books such as:

_Ancient Curses _

_A Parselmouth's Guide_

_Diary of Salazaar Slytherin_

_Great Snakes and where to find them_

_Slytherin's Ancestry_

When she went to pay, the shopkeeper gave her a strange look, but said,

"That's going to be seventeen galleons."

Aura pulled the money out of her purse as he shrunk the items and handed them to her. When they exited the shop she turned to Draco and said,

"I'm going to Knockturn Alley."

"Father's going to kill us." He whined.

"You don't have to come."

"I'm not letting you go there alone."

"Then, hurry up. We've spent about half an hour already." Aura said as she pulled her hood over her head, and Draco did the same.

Aura kept as much space between herself and the Alley's inhabitants as possible. There were old hags selling poisoned candles and others selling dark objects and cursed necklaces. One witch was even selling human skulls. Draco followed her reluctantly. When they got to Borgin and Burke's, Aura pulled Draco in as fast a humanly possible, and walked up to the counter.

"Excuse me sir." She said politely.

"Yes. What do you want?" He asked rudely, turning to face them.

"Do you have any rare potions ingredients for sale?"

"I have runespoor eggs, veela hair, and unicorn blood."

"I'll take the runespoor eggs.

"Fifteen runespoor eggs for fifty galleons."

"I'll give you thirty."

"Forty."

"Thirty-two."

"Deal." He said as he put the items in an expandable pouch, and cast an unbreakable charm on them.

Aura retrieved the money from her bag and paid him.

They rushed out of the store, but it took them an hour to get to Diagon Alley, because of the many people there.

"Come on, Aura." Draco said as he guided her towards Quality Quidditch Supplies.

They dropped their hoods and ran in. Gasping for breath, Aura sat down in one of the small chairs near the counter. She watched Draco examining some dragon-hide gloves and made a mental note to get them for his birthday on June 5th.

When nearly two hours since their arrival in the Alley had passed, they went to Florean Fortescue's, and ordered two ice creams.

"Everything went well, I presume?" The drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy asked.

"Yes, sir." Aura said respectfully as she started to eat her ice cream.

They started back off to the Manor and Aura wrapped her father's presents. The rest of the night was spent packing for school the next day.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Mirror of Erised

After returning to the school, Aura had many nightmares about the night her family had been attacked, so she had taken to wandering the corridors whenever she had one. One night she was in the wing opposite to where the Slytherin common room was when she heard her father and Filch speaking. Not wanting to anger either of them, Aura magically opened one of the locked doors and closed it again carefully, so as not to attract their attention. As soon as she entered she saw Harry in front of the mirror, reaching out to it.

"Harry?"

"Aura?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I was walking around when I decided to hide from Filch so I slipped in here."

"I'm trying to hide from Filch, too. What is this?"

"I don't know, I see my parents in it." Harry said, looking distraught.

_Erised Stra Ehru Oyt Ube Cafru Oyt On Wohsi, _was inscribed on the mirror and Aura could make no sense of it until she read it backwards.

"I show not your face, but your heart's true desire!" Aura exclaimed. "It's the mirror of Erised, Harry. It shows you what you want the most, your heart's desire." Aura said, stepping up to it.

"What do you see?" Harry asked her, and Aura's eyes widened as she looked in the mirror.

She looked much older than she really was and was standing next to Draco, leaning into him as they said goodbye to their family. Aura's siblings surrounded her parents and the Malfoy's were conversing with her mother. She could see a woman who looked much like her father standing next to him and realized it was her grandmother, Eileen Prince-Snape.

"Aura, what do you see?" Harry asked her curiously.

"My family. They were murdered years ago by Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers." Aura said, tears coursing down her cheeks because of the memories. "They attacked our summer home and nearly killed my father, my mother was stabbed and kidnapped along with my other siblings. My father was in my room, tucking me in when it happened. He hid me under the bed and then went to save everyone else, but there were too many of them. I've been remembering it every single night."

At that moment the door opened, and they heard Filch's screams again. Draco came rushing in and closed the door behind him. He walked over towards Aura and put an arm around her shoulders.

"What did you do, Potter?" Draco asked, as Aura cried into his shoulder again.

"I didn't do anything. It's what she saw in that mirror," he said, pointing to the mirror.

* * *

Draco was curious as to what the mirror was, and gently pried Aura away form him after kissing her hand, and whispering that he'd be right back.

"What does it do, Potter?" Draco asked.

"It shows what you want the most." He answered.

Draco moved to stand in the mirror, and gaped at what he saw. Aura had her arm around him, and they were in the middle of a deep kiss, when they were interrupted by his parents. She was wearing a sexy dress like the one she had worn for the Christmas party.

His father moved to whisper something in his ear, which made mirror-Draco laugh, and Aura blushed a deep crimson. His mother was laughing and had given Aura a necklace that was the symbol of the noble house of Black. It really meant any pureblood family but that was what his mother called it.

Draco moved away from the mirror, shaking his head to clear it. What had Aura seen? He knew she had probably seen her family, and that was why she was crying.

Draco moved back over to her and said,

"Aura, we need to get back to our common room before anyone else joins the party. Come on Amethyst, please." He said, as he traced her face with his finger.

Aura looked up to him, and nodded her approval, and let him steer her away. Draco glared at Harry once more, and then left without another word, leaving a very confused Harry James Potter to his emotions.

* * *

'That bastard.' Harry thought. 'How dare he touch Aura like that, wonder what he saw in the mirror.' Harry was inexplicably mad, at him. Malfoy had just waltzed in and taken Aura to the Slytherin common room. He hadn't even asked her what was wrong.

Harry went back to Gryffindor tower, confused at how much he like Aura, and hoping that she could like him back.

* * *

The next day was Saturday, and the day of the Quidditch match. Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor. The house cup champions were depending on this match. It would say which House was going to be playing Slytherin, in the finals.

Aura's father was refereeing this match, but Aura had absolutely no intention of going. Instead, she and Draco made plans to hang out together the entire day.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Detention and Dragons

A few weeks later Aura and Draco were in the library for ages. Their exams were coming up and they had piles of homework to do. Easter break wasn't nearly as fun as Winter break.

Aura had decided to take a break outside of the castle, and walked towards Hagrid's hut.

"'ello." He said as he opened the door.

"Hi Hagrid." Aura said warmly.

"Come in." The half-giant said, gesturing for her to enter.

She did, and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting around the table and a large egg on the table.

"Hagrid, is that a dragon egg?" She asked cautiously.

"Yep, name's Norbert. Got 'im off someone in a pub." He said.

Aura stayed around only long enough to see it hatch and then excused herself. She ran into Draco outside.

"Did you see that?" Aura asked him.

"Yeah, it's illegal to have a dragon you know." Draco said.

"I know. Come on, though. We can't do anything about it." Aura said walking back to the castle.

Draco followed her, but he had a plan in his mind.

* * *

About a week later, Draco snuck out towards Hagrid's hut, only to find out that they were moving the dragon tonight.

He ran into Professor McGonagall, once he found out Potter was in this. They got there to find the dragon was gone, but Potter and his friends were still at the top of the tower.

McGonagall was furious and ushered them into her office, and she began lecturing them.

"All of you will receive detention. Yes, even you Mr. Malfoy, honorable as your intentions were, you were still out of bed after curfew. Meet Hagrid in the Great Hall on Saturday at eleven o' clock. Now get back to your dormitories immediately. Oh and fifty points each from Gryffindor, Twenty points from Slytherin." She said as she glared at them.

* * *

The week passed quickly with Aura earning a detention in Transfiguration class, since she chose then to hex Weasley for a comment he had just made about her father.

On Saturday, she joined Draco, Ron, Harry, and Hermione for detention with Hagrid.

Aura and Draco nearly panicked when they learned they had to go into the forest and Hagrid spent at least twenty minutes trying to calm them down. Once he had explained about the unicorn blood, Aura once again panicked, but Hagrid sent her and Hermione one way and Draco and Harry another, staying with Ron.

"I don't like this at all." Aura said, once they had gone a little deeper into the forest.

"Well you didn't have to hex Ron." Hermione snapped at her.

"He was saying horrible stuff about my father, I won't let that just pass." Aura said, defending herself.

"Look, there's a unicorn!" Hermione exclaimed, eyes wide.

Aura watched in amazement as the unicorn came up to her, its pearly white mane shining in the moonlight and nuzzled her head.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, and she stumbled back, watching as another unicorn followed with two baby ones behind it.

"How beautiful." Aura said, patting their manes.

"Are yeh alright?" Hagrid said, coming up from behind her and nearly jumping in surprise when he saw Aura surrounded by unicorns.

"On'y some'ne with a pure soul can go up to a unicorn." Hagrid said, still bewildered by the sight the beheld him.

"They're beautiful." Aura said, watching as the largest one made a movement that looked as if asking her to get on.

"It's asking you to get onto it." Hermione said, dumbfounded by what she saw.

Aura bravely got onto the largest unicorn and let it take her back to the castle, the others following. Her father and Dumbledore were conversing, but stopped at seeing her approach them on the back of a unicorn.

"How very interesting." Dumbledore said, looking as if to be deep in thought.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Aura said, mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the creatures.

"Yes, my dear, unicorns are very intelligent creatures. I think you had best be getting to bed though." Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling madly.

"I remember another child that was in the same situation when he had first come to Hogwarts." Dumbledore said, looking straight at her father.

"A very long time ago, Headmaster." He responded, picking Aura up again as he had on Halloween, and retreating back to the castle.

The three children left behind were dumbfounded, Snape playing with unicorns, it was just too weird.

_A/N:_

_I apologize for yet another short chapter, but I will hopefully make up for it in the next one. _


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Finally, exam time had arrived. It was sweltering hot in the large classroom where they were taking their exams. Their quills had been bewitched with anti-cheating spells, and they were called in one-by-one to take practical exams as well as written ones.

Aura thought she had done pretty well, she passed her Charms exam, for sure. She had also done extremely well in DADA. Transfiguration was a bit difficult, but she managed to do well. Potions was the easiest.

Her father had been breathing down everyone's necks trying to make them nervous as they tried to remember how to brew a Forgetfulness potion.

The worst had been History of Magic. They had to remember a whole load of people who made self-stirring cauldrons and other ridiculous inventions.

* * *

Around midnight, Aura was walking around the school, trying to find the Gryffindor common room, until she bumped into something solid. Looking around, she noticed there was nothing there.

"Harry? Harry is that you?" She whispered.

Moments later, Aura saw his head along with Ron and Hermione's pop out from underneath an invisibility cloak.

"Harry what are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm going to get the Sorcerer's Stone. Someone's after it."

"I know Harry. I was coming up tonight, to find you. I wanted to ask if you've seen Quirrell doing anything suspicious."

"It's Snape! Not Quirrell." Ron said. "We can't trust her, come on." Ron said as he gestured for them to keep moving.

"Look you three go under the invisibility cloak, I'll walk ahead. We'll see who it is when we find them." Aura said, pulling her black cloak around her.

When they reached the third floor Aura could hear the music playing from the room.

"Play the flute Hermione. I'll go in first." Harry said, handing a flute to Hermione.

"I'm going in with you Harry." Aura said, reaching out for his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Aura no-"

"We can argue, or we can try to stop Voldemort. Your choice."

"You said the name."

"I'm not afraid of saying the name. He's dead anyways. Who cares?" Aura said, lowering herself through the hole.

Harry followed minutes later and called the rest of them down.

They had landed on a plant, and it was starting to trap them.

"It's Devil's Snare!" Aura and Hermione gasped simultaneously.

"Glad we know what it's called, really helps." Ron said, sarcasm lining his voice.

Aura relaxed and slipped right through, she could hear the others and quickly tried to remember what she had learned that day in Herbology.

"Hermione! Help me please! I don't know anything about this plant except it likes the dark."

"It doesn't like sunlight and fire!" Hermione screamed.

'_Incendio!'_ Aura said as the plant started to burn and released it's grip on them.

The trio fell through and landed next to her.

"Another helpful thing is you need to relax, or it'll kill you." Aura pointed out as they walked into another room.

"Look! Keys! We have to catch the right one!" She said as she pointed up at them.

"How do we get up there?" Ron asked.

"There's a broom." Harry said. "Aura you go. You're a brilliant seeker. You would have caught the snitch in our first game, if I hadn't nearly swallowed it when I fell."

"Thanks Harry. I'll go." She said as she took the broom.

The keys suddenly swooped down on her, and she jumped on her broom and flew quickly towards the key with a broken wing.

After much hassle she did a fantastic dive and caught it, throwing it towards Harry, who ran to unlock the door. Jumping off the broomstick, she fell into the other room, Harry closing the door behind her.

"You okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah, fine. It's just a scratch." She said waving off his concern.

The truth was her arm hurt terribly, and it was much more than just a shallow cut. They were now in a room with a giant chess set, and Ron was pointing out their positions.

"Aura, you go be a, um-"

"How about one of the knights?" Aura asked.

"That's fine." Ron said grudgingly.

Aura gracefully got onto the horse, and stroked its wooden mane. Even though it was a chess piece, it still moved it's head affectionately. In the end, Ron let himself be taken, and Hermione volunteered to stay with him. Aura followed Harry past a troll, and into the next room.

Seven bottles were laid out on the table. They stepped over the threshold and approached the table. As they did this purple flames sprang up, and black flames spread up in front of them. They were trapped.

Aura picked up the piece of paper lying next to the bottles, and read it.

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead, _

_Another will transport the drinker back instead, _

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine, _

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line, _

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four, _

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end, _

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size, _

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right, _

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at_

_first sight._

"This is a puzzle of logic. Many of the greatest wizards don't have an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck here forever." Aura said, remembering what her father had told her.

"Won't we?"

"No, give me a minute." She said as she read the paper. "The smallest one gets you through the black fire, towards the stone. The round bottle at the right end will get us through the purple flames."

"There's hardly one swallow left."

"I'll go and get Dumbledore, or McGonagall. Ron and Hermione might want to come with me. Good Luck Harry."

"I might be able to hold Snape off for awhile, but I'm no match for him really."

"It's not my father Harry. I'm sure of it. Go, Hurry!" She said as she threw back the vial and swallowed the whole thing, running through the purple flames.

Aura knew she had no time to waste, she ran through the doors separating her from the entrance, and, climbed up the Devil's Snare. Before the Cerberus could get anywhere near her she ran to the door, shutting it with a loud bang.

She was exhausted by the time she reached the corridor where McGonagall's office was located. She looked inside and saw her father there. They were speaking in hushed tones, until Aura burst into the office.

"Professor! Someone went after the stone!"

"I have told Mr. Potter and his friends the stone is well-protected, now please get back to your dormitory immediately before I take points from Slytherin."

"Professor, someone has been down there. Ron is unconscious because of the giant chess set and Hermione is with him. Harry went ahead to the room beyond the black flames."

"You-you-you went down there!?" McGonagall asked, looking furious.

"Yes. Quirrell is down there, he's the one who tried to kill Harry. Please Professor, Harry said he'd hold him off for awhile. They need help."

"Severus, go help them. I'll be down in a minute. Aurelia you are going straight to Poppy, understand?" She said menacingly.

"Yes, Professor." Aura said, hurrying down the corridor.

She ran into Filch in one of the corridors, and nearly screamed when she felt something brush up against her leg.

"Out of bed after curfew?" He asked menacingly.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Sir, please. I need to go to the hospital wing, I'm hurt." Aura said, pulling back her sleeve to expose her arm.

She had a deep gash on it and her clothes were soaking up the blood, but she still needed to get there fast.

"Hm. Go on then. Mrs. Norris will make sure that's where yer going." He said, showing his nasty teeth. Shuddering, Aura walked away as quickly as possible and ran for it once she was out of his sight.

She dashed into the infirmary, and knocked on Madam Pomfrey's door.

"What in the-Goodness gracious! What happened to you dear child?" Madam Pomfrey asked, as she appeared in her nightgown.

"I went down the trapdoor in the third-floor corridor along with two others. I guess I kinda hurt my arm after the second door."

Madam Pomfrey shook her head, and gestured towards one of the beds. She started fixing her up, muttering about silly, meddling old men, and their stupid connections.

Aura drifted off into unconsciousness within minutes of laying down.

Aura soon awoke to the sound of Ron and Hermione leaving the infirmary. She looked around and saw that Harry was lying in the bed next to her. Her robes and cloak had been transfigured to a nightgown, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Harry, are you alright?" Aura asked carefully.

"Fine. My head is still a bit sore, but I'm fine."

"Madam Pomfrey? Can Draco come visit me please? I've only got a small scratch on my arm." Aura asked quietly.

"You may. Do not disturb Mr. Potter, though. He needs his rest." She said as she bustled off to her office.

Draco came bursting in at that moment.

"Aura? Are you okay?" Draco asked as he approached her quickly, standing by her side.

"Draco I'm fine."

"You could have died! Why did you go down there?"

"Calm down, Dragon! I don't know why I did go down there. I guess I just wanted to help stop Quirrell. He always was an idiot." Aura said jokingly.

Draco took her hand in his and kissed it, as Aura blushed.

"My father said you should stay over at our Manor this summer."

"Why don't you come over to Prince Manor, instead? We could ride everyday. Unless you don't know how." Aura said, a smile tugging at her lips.

"I know how to ride a broom, I taught you."

"Not a broom, a horse."

"I'm not getting anywhere near those." Draco said, horrified. Aura simply laughed and rolled her eyes.

* * *

Later on, Madam Pomfrey released her, and they rushed to the common room. Aura threw on her clean uniform, and rushed out with Draco again.

The Great Hall was decorated in Slytherin banners, and Aura smirked at the fact that they were winning for the seventh year in a row. When Harry entered, everyone was quiet for a moment, and then started talking loudly again. Dumbledore stood up, and started talking a few minutes after, and all the Slytherins tuned him out.

"Recent events must be taken into account however," He said, looking towards the Gryffindor table.

"I have a few last minute points to award," he continued.

"First-- to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, fifty points." A loud cheer was heard from the Gryffindor table, and they were silent again as Dumbledore held up his hand.

"Second---to Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of quick thinking when in danger, fifty points." Aura and several other Slytherins glared at him.

"Third--- to Mr. Harry Potter for pure nerve and outstanding courage, sixty points." A roar of outrage came up from the Slytherin table. Gryffindor was tied with them!

"There are all kinds of courage. It take great bravery to stand up to your enemies but even more to stand up to our friends. I award forty points to Mr. Neville Longbottom." The Gryffindor table went up in a roar of celebration, once more. They became silent however when Dumbledore said,

"For cool use of logic, when being faced by fire, and for quick thinking, I award Slytherin House, thirty-five points." The Slytherin table was silent as they all glared at the Headmaster.

"I believe we need a little change of decoration." He said as he waved his wand and the Slytherin serpent became the towering Gryffindor lion.

* * *

After the feast everyone started packing, and when they had finished, their Head of House brought them their grades. Aura and Draco compared theirs. Aura's were:

_O = Outstanding_

_E = Exceeds Expectations_

_A = Acceptable_

_P =Poor_

_D = Dreadful_

_T = Troll_

_Astronomy = A_

_Written: A_

_Practical: A_

_Herbology = E_

_Written: E_

_Practical: E_

_Potions = O_

_Written: O_

_Practical: O_

_History of Magic = A_

_Charms = O_

_Written: E_

_Practical: O_

_Transfiguration = O_

_Written: E_

_Practical: O_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts = O_

_Written: O_

_Practical: O_

"Draco, swap with me for second." She said as they swapped papers. Draco had gotten:

_Astronomy = E_

_Written: E_

_Practical: A_

_Herbology = O_

_Written: O_

_Practical: O_

_Potions = O_

_Written: E_

_Practical: O_

_History Of Magic = A_

_Charms = E_

_Written: A_

_Practical: O_

_Transfiguration = E_

_Written: A_

_Practical: O_

"We got nearly the same grades. You did really well." Aura said, noticing Draco was a little disappointed.

"You did amazing. Oh well. There's always next year." Draco said as they swapped back.

"Our fathers spoke and he said you're to take the train with me and my parents will take us to Malfoy Manor from there. You'll stay over for a week, and then we'll go over to Prince Manor."

"Cool. I can't wait to get back home." She said as they walked towards the Hogwarts Express in Hogsmeade Station.

The train ride was uneventful, Aura went to sit with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, so Draco could talk to some of his other friends.

"Hey." She said as she came in and sat down.

"Hey Aura. Where's your trunk?" Harry asked curiously.

"In Draco's compartment. We're leaving together, but I just can't stand some of his friends." Aura said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

* * *

Hermione looked at her enviously, as she began to remove her coat. How dare she act like that in front of Ron! Hermione liked Ron a lot, but she would never admit it. Aura seemed much more interested in Harry than in Ron, so she relaxed, but was still jealous.

* * *

Aura casually talked with Harry, until they got closer to King's Cross.

"I'd never actually been in London except for the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. I've also been down Knockturn Alley, but don't mention that to anyone. I had to get some rare potions ingredients for my father's birthday." She was saying, as she loosened her coat, and let it slide down onto the seat.

"I wish Hogwarts was year-round." Harry said.

"Why?"

"I hate going back to my relative's house."

"Harry, they must love you. They'd be idiots not to. You're a celebrity in the wizarding world. I thought you'd be one in the muggle world too." Aura said.

"Nope, actually they hate me. But it will be fun this year, see Dudley, my cousin, and Uncle Vernon, and Aunt Petunia, don't know that I can't do magic outside of school. I can always threaten them."

"Harry!" Hermione and Aura admonished simultaneously.

"I'll write this summer, Harry. We must keep in touch. Don't write for about a week though. I'm staying at Malfoy Manor. In a week I'm going back home."

"They have a whole lot of dark stuff in that house don't they?" Ron asked.

"Ron, there are no dark objects at all there."

"My dad ran several raids at their house. He found some stuff full of dark magic. He said he's running one again this summer."

"I've heard loads about your father. I'm anxious not to meet him." Aura smirked at him, and left just as Draco appeared in the doorway.

"We're at King's Cross." He said.

Aura followed him back to their compartment and took off her overshirt. She was wearing a knee-length apple green skirt, black sandals with a four-inch heel, a black puff-sleeved top, and she had her hair back in a high ponytail with an obsidan headband. Draco was wearing his usual green t-shirt, trainers, and black trousers, with his hair neatly slicked back.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Hermione looked at her enviously, as she began to remove her coat. How dare she act like that in front of Ron! Hermione liked Ron a lot, but she would never admit it. Aura seemed much more interested in Harry than in Ron, so she relaxed, but was still jealous.

* * *

Aura casually talked with Harry, until they got closer to King's Cross.

"I'd never actually been in London except for the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. I've also been down Knockturn Alley, but don't mention that to anyone. I had to get some rare potions ingredients for my father's birthday." She was saying, as she loosened her coat, and let it slide down onto the seat.

"I wish Hogwarts was year-round." Harry said.

"Why?"

"I hate going back to my relative's house."

"Harry, they must love you. They'd be idiots not to. You're a celebrity in the wizarding world. I thought you'd be one in the muggle world too." Aura said.

"Nope, actually they hate me. But it will be fun this year, see Dudley, my cousin, and Uncle Vernon, and Aunt Petunia, don't know that I can't do magic outside of school. I can always threaten them."

"Harry!" Hermione and Aura admonished simultaneously.

"I'll write this summer, Harry. We must keep in touch. Don't write for about a week though. I'm staying at Malfoy Manor. In a week I'm going back home."

"They have a whole lot of dark stuff in that house don't they?" Ron asked.

"Ron, there are no dark objects at all there."

"My dad ran several raids at their house. He found some stuff full of dark magic. He said he's running one again this summer."

"I've heard loads about your father. I'm anxious not to meet him." Aura smirked at him, and left just as Draco appeared in the doorway.

"We're at King's Cross." He said.

Aura followed him back to their compartment and took off her overshirt. She was wearing a knee-length apple green skirt, black sandals with a four-inch heel, a black puff-sleeved top, and she had her hair back in a high ponytail with an obsidan headband. Draco was wearing his usual green t-shirt, trainers, and black trousers, with his hair neatly slicked back.

When they got down at the Platform, Aura and Draco rushed through the barrier with their things on an extra-large trolley. She saw a huge beefy man, and seconds later Harry emerged from the barrier and walked up to him.

"Uncle Vernon." She heard him say.

"Harry! Harry!" She called out to him. The beefy man eyed her menacingly, and she took an unconscious step back.

"Harry, write to me over the summer. Maybe we can meet up in Diagon Alley. Good luck, I guess. I'll inform you of the news. Mr. Malfoy works in the Ministry of Magic, very high-ranking position, and my father is still at Hogwarts so I'll be able to keep you informed." She said, and yelped when the man grabbed her shoulders.  
"How dare you mention such-such-such freakishness in front of me!" He yelled.

"Unhand her at once." She heard the voice of Lucius Malfoy say from behind her.

"Are you hurt Aura?"

"No Mr. Malfoy."

"Good. Go with Draco and Narcissa, while I have a few words with this muggle about manhandling children left in my care." He said in a no-nonsense voice as he waved her towards them.

Not wanting to hang around any longer Aura simply said,

"Bye, Harry," and left as quickly as she could.

"What a dreadful muggle." Aura said to Draco, watching as he cowered in front of Mr. Malfoy.

"Yes, well, all muggles are like that." Draco said, not really caring.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Hermione." Aura said, going over to where she was.

"Hermione!" Aura called out, waving to her.

"Aura, I had thought you were already gone."

"No, I'm leaving soon though, right after Mr. Malfoy stops yelling at that idiot muggle uncle of Harry's."

"I'm muggleborn myself." Hermione said, immediately taking offense.

"I didn't mean it like that, I know that some muggles are nice and smart." Aura said in her defense.

"Right, well, I'll see you at school next year. Oh, and these are my parents, they're both dentists, which are---"

"Teeth doctors. I know, I'm not ignorant of the muggle world, I just prefer the Wizarding World." Aura said, dismissing that kind of conversation.

"Mum, Dad, this is Aurelia Snape, she's the daughter of Professor Snape, the Potions Master." Hermione said, watching as Aura greeted her parents warmly and excused herself when she saw Mr. Malfoy finishing his conversation with the Dursley's.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 17

When they had Apparated to Malfoy Manor, Aura was sent up to the room she always occupied during her stays, and started to unpack. The Malfoy's had told her that their house elf, Dobby, was hers for the summer. He had Apparated into her room and startled her, as she had whipped out her wand at the noise.

"Dobby is sorry. Mistress Narcissa says I is to be taking care of you and following orders." He said.

"You frightened me. From now on knock at least when you're near. I don't want a house elf Apparating into my room." Aura said, haughtily.

"Yes, Mistress Aurelia. Dobby understands."

"Don't ever call me Aurelia. I hate that name. You're to call me Mistress Aura. Understand?" She said as Dobby nodded quickly.

"Good. I'll call you when I need you. Only Apparate into my room when I call you, otherwise you knock."

She said yet again, not even sparing the elf a second glance.

"What are you waiting for? You're dismissed." She said, waving him off and getting a piece of parchment and a quill from her trunk.

Aura decided to write to Harry, even though he probably couldn't answer her anyways until a week later. She wrote the letter which said,

_Harry, _

_You probably think I'm pathetic for writing to you, when we said goodbye maybe a few hours ago. I'm sending my owl, Midnight, to you with my letter. _

_Harry, that man who grabbed me in the station is your uncle? You need to tell someone if he's hurting you. If your cousin is anything like that……anyways, have you started your assignments? Mr. Malfoy will probably have Draco and I finishing ours by the end of the month. _

_Like I said before, don't respond for a week. If you have a telephone number (I do know quite a bit about Muggles and their world), then please send it with your owl. Midnight will have instructions to return immediately. _

_Good luck, Harry. If I could get you out of there I would. You must be absolutely miserable with those muggles. I heard something interesting is going to happen in school this year, hopefully at the start of term at least. I have to go Harry, lots of love. _

_Missing You,_

_Aurelia Amethyst Snape_

_P.S. You've become my best friend in the last year I hope it can remain like that. I also only signed my full name, because it's only proper in wizarding families. I'll let you know if my stay at the Manor is going to be prolonged, so I can send you my owl instead. _

Aura scanned the note again, and made sure she had used her best handwriting.

"Dobby!" She called, summoning the house elf.

"Mistress Aura called?" He said, bowing low.

"Where is my owl? Bring her here, now." She commanded, watching the elf nod and Disapparate.

He reappeared in her room minutes later with her owl perched on his hand. She gave Midnight the letter, opened the window, and watched her fly free, into the night.

"Leave now, Dobby." She ordered as she went into Draco's room. The elf nodded and Disapparated.

* * *

Dobby Apparated into Harry Potter's front lawn he stayed hidden, until he saw the owl approaching. The Malfoy's were asleep so nobody would notice him carrying a letter.

Dobby placed a spell around the house, that would deliver any letters to Harry Potter to him instead. He had to stop Harry Potter from going back to Hogwarts. He took the letter, and coaxed the owl away as he Disapparated back to Malfoy Manor.

* * *

It had been about two weeks and Harry had not responded. Aura was now back at home in Prince Manor and was organizing her things. She had stayed a week longer because her father had been unable to make it, because of one of Dumbledore's orders.

"Dobby! Trixie! Tinker! Ellendor!" Aura said as four house elves popped into her room.

"Yes Mistress Aura?" Tinker asked.

"How can Trixie help the mistress?" Trixie asked.

"How may Ellendor serve you, my mistress." Ellendor asked, bowing deeply.

"You called Mistress Aura?" Dobby asked.

"Tinker, bring me some water."

"Yes Mistress." Tinker said as she disapparated.

"Trixie, you stay. I need you to deliver a note to Draco for me. Ellendor, go and saddle up the horses."

"Yes Mistress." The two elves said as one Disapparated, and the other stayed behind, nearly invisible in one of the corners.

"Dobby, you will deliver a note to Harry for me. Take it straight to Midnight, do not loose it. Stay here while I write both. Go stand over there with Trixie."

"Yes Mistress." Dobby said as he bowed.

Aura quickly got out some parchment and scribbled in green ink:

_Draco, _

_Meet me in the stables in about a half-hour. Get your cloak and wear a t-shirt, pants, and your dragon-hide boots. I've sent Trixie to you, if you wish to use her you may. _

_Lots of Love_

_Aurelia Amethyst Snape _

On another piece of parchment she scribbled a not to her father:

_Father, _

_Draco and I are going riding. I might take him along the cliffs, but we won't go anywhere near the edges. I've told him to wear his cloak and I will do the same. Ellendor is getting the horses ready at this moment. We need to go into Diagon Alley as soon as the Hogwarts letters arrive. I want to get my stuff before anyone else. _

_Hugs and Kisses_

_Aura_

"Here, Trixie. Take this one to Draco first, and then this one to my father she said, indicating the letters."

"Of course, Mistress Aura." Trixie said as she bowed and Disapparated.

"Dobby, wait here and I will have you deliver another letter to Harry."

_Harry, _

_Why haven't you answered my letters? Are you angry at me? I'm going into Diagon Alley the day I get my Hogwarts letter, so I hope to see you there. If you don't want to talk to me anymore then I guess we'll just go back to the old House rivalry._

_I miss you, Harry. I'm back at Prince Manor now. Draco and I are about to go riding. Not riding a broom though, riding horses. I love them, they're so beautiful. _

_Well, I guess that's all I have to say. If you want to be my friend, or at least talk to me again, then please write back. If you don't write back, then I'll understand. _

_Write Soon, _

_Aurelia Amethyst Snape_

Aura sighed as she re-read the letter. Harry hadn't answered her at all this summer. Did he really want to be left alone? Didn't he want her as a friend?

"Dobby, give this to Midnight, she's to come straight back here, once she's delivered it. Make sure it's tied firmly to her leg."

"Yes mistress." Dobby said as he Disapparated, and Tinker Apparated into her room.

"Here is your water, Mistress." She said, happily.

"I don't want it anymore, I changed my mind. Leave now."

"Yes mistress." She said, vanishing the goblet's contents and Disapparating.

Aura ran towards her closet, and changed into a more comfortable outfit. Instead of the casual dress she was wearing, she changed into a black riding dress, with matching tights, and shoes. She tied her hair back, and took off her jewelry.

When she was done getting dressed she hurried towards the stables. Draco was already there, and he had Ellandor explaining things to him.

"Wow. Um, Aura?" Draco asked.

"Yes?"

"No offense, but you look like the very image of Death."

"Why is that?"

"You just-well-I don't know. I guess it's because your eyes and hair are onyx black and then you're really pale, and then you're wearing all black."

"To a muggle I would look the very image of death. Want to ride through town? There's a small village there and if you dress all white we can make them think Death and Life are riding through."

"Scare them?"

"Yes."

"Oh, yeah. Let's go." He said as he changed into all white clothes in the stall next to Aura. She simply got her black cloak, and left her hair free.

"Ready?" He asked. Aura gaped at him, he looked like an angel dressed completely in white.

"That color really suits you." She said, trying not to gape at him again. He simply smirked at her.

"Draco you're going to be riding Spirit, and I'm going to be riding Ebony." She said, gesturing to a ebony-black horse, and a snow-white one.

Draco clambered up on Spirit, while Aura gracefully mounted Ebony. The saddles were the same color as their horses, so they would barely be noticeable.

"When I say go, we start riding towards town, follow me, until we pass the beach. We'll ride through the water when we come back. Did you bring a change of clothes?"

"Of course."

"Good, put them in the pocket of the saddle. It's magically expanded." She said as she did the same.

"Go!" She shouted as soon as they had finished. The stable doors were open, and so was the gate out of the pasture. While Draco rode out the gate, Aura jumped over the fence, and landed perfectly.

"Show-off!" Draco yelled, as she laughed.

"Follow me, come on Dragon! Let's see how good you are!" She shouted as she rode down the slightly sloping hill, and onto the path leading to the beach.

They rode in silence and when they had gotten to the beach, a little girl making a sandcastle looked horrified.

"Mummy! Daddy! I think those are Life and Death spirits." She said as she ran towards a young couple in their mid-thirties. The coupled merely glared at them and the man was about to say something when Aura kicked her horse into a run. Draco followed shortly after, where they nearly collapsed in a fit of laughter.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 18

They rode through the town and scared a few other children, and adults alike, before going back to the beach. There, they tied their horses up outside the bathrooms and went to change.

Aura tied back her hair, pushing her bangs out of her face, and changed into her silver and green swimsuit and shorts. She emerged later to find the little girl from earlier that morning, petting the horses.

"You're not really the spirit of death are you?" She asked fearfully.

"No, I'm not. Sorry, I thought it would be a nice prank to pull on the other townsfolk."

"I'm not from here. My mummy and daddy are visiting from America. We live there."

"That's nice. I've never been anywhere except for England, Scotland, and France. I might be going to Bulgaria, Russia, and Italy soon though."

"Is your friend the spirit of life?"

"Nope, sorry little girl. Aura, I'm going to be hanging around, in one of chairs under the umbrellas. Don't bother me unless it's necessary." Draco said, as he emerged from the stalls, wearing black shorts, and a silver and green shirt with a snake on it.

"Fine, Draco. I won't bother you, now go please." She said, waving him off.

"What's your name?" The little girl asked.

"Aurelia Amethyst Snape."

"That's a nice name. Mine is Susan Pansy Jones."

"You have the same name as my friend."

"Which one is your friend's?"

"Pansy. Pansy Parkinson."

"Is she causing trouble again?" A woman's voice said. Now that Aura looked at her properly she saw the woman had very dark blonde hair. The man had reddish-blondish hair, and the little girl had light blonde hair.

"I'm sorry about earlier. It was mostly Draco's idea that we ride through town. So I heard you're from America, that's a long way from here."  
"Yes, I am from here. How do I know you aren't rif-raff? We've been invited to dinner with very dignified families and we don't want out daughter mixing with the wrong sort." She said, holding her nose up high.

"Where are you going for dinner?"

"We're dining with the Snapes this evening. Up in that Manor, the one that overlooks this beach."

"I'm Aurelia Amethyst Snape, it's nice to meet you." Aura said, smirking at the woman's look of disbelief.

"David, David, come here!"

"What?" He asked exasperated.

"This is Mr. Snape's daughter, Aurelia."

"It's nice to meet you," he said warmly, extending his hand to her.

"Likewise, Mr. and Mrs. Jones. By the way call me Aura, I can't stand it when people call me Aurelia." She said.

"Who's that? A friend of your's?" he asked.

"That's Draco. Draco Malfoy. He's staying at our Manor for awhile. I stay at their's during the holidays."

"Really? Tell me more about that. Don't you go to the public school?" He said, offering her a place across from his at a small plastic table, while Mrs. Jones fussed over Susan, next to their picnic baskets.

"I go to one of the best boarding schools in Europe."

"Boarding school?"

"Yes, my father teaches there."

"That's nice, I guess."

"I'm going to get Draco to move his lazy arse. We came to the beach to play around, not nap. It's the only place we can actually have fun, where no one is staring at us." She said smiling to him, as she got up, and walked over towards Mrs. Jones and Susan.

"Susan? Do you want to help me wake up Draco?" she asked quietly.

"Yes! Are we going to splash him?" she said as her face lit up.

"Even better. If I can use one of your buckets, we'll throw water and sand all over him. You can throw the water and I'll put the sand." Aura said with an evil smirk.

"I don't know if you should do this to young Mr. Malfoy…" Mrs. Jones said, but Aura waved her off.

"I'm paying him back for the awful word he called me on the train to boarding school, and for how he insulted me." She said as she gave a bucket of water to Susan, and she got hers full of sand.

The water was freezing cold since she had gotten it out of one of the portable coolers stationed around the beach.

"We'll pour it onto him on go. Ready? 1, 2, 3, Go!" She said, as they started pouring.

Draco fell out of the chair and into the sand with a yelp. When he looked at himself, he started running after Aura, who shrieked and ran the opposite direction. Draco, having longer legs, was quicker and caught her by the waist, letting himself fall into the ocean, and dragging her with him. He started to tickle her until she said,

"Okay! Okay Draco, I'm sorry!" She said between giggles.

Draco smirked at her and they started a splash fight for a few minutes. Draco finally gave up when he saw Aura got the best of him.

"Your father is going to be royally pissed at us if we don't get home soon." Draco said, as Aura hit him across the chest.

"What does 'royally pissed' mean?" Susan asked.

"They're words that you should never say. Draco, just can't watch his mouth, sometimes." She said, glaring at Draco.

"We're going to be a little later than we expected would you mind telling your father?" Mr. Jones said.

"I'll tell him. Nice meeting you." She said, shaking their hands and jumping onto Ebony.

Draco clambered up onto Spirit and said,

"Bloody horse. I hope I never see another one again."

"Draco! Watch your mouth please!"

"What does-" Susan began.

"It's another word you should never say. Come on Draco, before anything else slips out of our mouth." Aura said, as she put on her cloak, and Draco did the same.

They raced up the path leading towards the beach, and then up and down the hills, stopping only when they were inside the pasture.

"Come on. If they're coming for dinner then we'd better make ourselves presentable." Aura said, jumping off of Ebony.

"Ellendor!" She called.

He Apparated in seconds later and said,

"Yes mistress?"

"Put the horses away, and take good care of them, or else. Draco take the saddle pouches inside, our clothes are in there." She said, rushing inside.

Draco followed her, until they ran into her father in the living room.

"Where were you two?" He asked as he took a sip of tea.

"We went down to the beach, father. I never knew we would be so long."

"Very well, Aura, Draco, we are having a formal dinner tonight. Draco your parents will be arriving soon, and so will our guests. I want you to dress up in your nicest summer clothes. Wear your muggle clothes however, Draco. Aura, the wizard and muggle fashion for you is much the same, so it does not matter what you wear." Her father said as he returned his attention to his tea.

* * *

Aura and Draco came downstairs later. Aura was wearing sapphire accessories, and a baby blue floor-length dress, that belonged in the Victorian Era.

Draco was wearing a light beige tux, and a baby blue dress shirt under. His hair was once again slicked back, and Aura's was in ringlets, framing her face.

Narcissa and Lucius floo'ed in as well, Narcissa wearing a light green dress, similar to Aura's, while Lucius wore a tux exactly like Draco's, and with a light green dress shirt under. He was holding his walking stick and had his hair completely straight. Narcissa's hair was straight and flowing down her back.

Aura's father entered last, wearing a black suit with a dark blue dress shirt. His hair was still framing his face as was usual, and he was also holding a walking stick like Lucius'.

The Jones arrived later on and the dinner went smoothly. Susan was left with Aura and Draco as they chatted away with the adults.

All too soon the night was over and the children succumbed to the sweet darkness of a warm summer night


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Summer had passed, and all too soon, Aura had received her Hogwarts letter again. Her letter said,

_Second-Year Students Will Require:_

_The Standard Book Of Spells, Grade 2 By Miranda Goshawk _

_Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart_

"We've been told to get all of Lockhart's books. Dad, who's the new defense teacher?" Aura asked her father as they ate breakfast.

"The idiot Lockhart himself. I don't believe he did anything that he's written in those books." Her father said, between sips of coffee.

"The Malfoys are going into Diagon Alley next Wednesday, would you like to go then? Or shall I take you today?"

"Next Wednesday's fine. I really want to see Draco again." She said, as her father nodded and went off to make some potions.

*********************************************

The week passed quickly, and soon Aura was getting dressed in her newest outfit, and waiting for the Malfoys to floo over.

She was wearing a green skirt, with a black fall top, and her green cloak that had a snake clasp on it. Her hair was loose, and perfectly straight, with her bangs cut just above her eyebrows. The floo flared to life, and Aura took a few cautious steps back.

"I hate using the floo." Draco said, as he stumbled out of the fireplace, covered in soot.

"Here let me help,_ 'Scourgify'_." She said as she waved her wand over Draco, and the soot came off. A few seconds later, Mr. Malfoy came gracefully out of the fireplace, not a speck of soot on him.

"Well, if you're ready, then let's go. I have business in Knockturn Alley today, and I'm going to be taking you two with me." He said as he turned towards the floo again.

"Father, can we apparate instead? I'm sick of using the floo." Draco said, pretending to clutch his stomach.

"Very well. Aura grab hold of Draco's arm, tightly. Draco, you hold onto my arm, tightly." He said as they did this and spun on the spot. They appeared a few seconds later, in an alley near the Leaky Cauldron.

They walked in silence through the Leaky Cauldron and towards Diagon Alley. Instead of going straight towards Gringotts, they turned down Knockturn Alley. Mr. Malfoy led them straight into Borgin and Burkes.

He walked in, and rang the bell on the counter, then turned to them and said,

"Don't touch anything suspicious Draco, Aura. I'll buy you a racing broom when we get out of here. I assume you'll be on the Quidditch team this year."

"I'll try, but _famous _Harry Potter, got on last year for nothing. He's not even good, nearly swallowed the snitch in his first match, otherwise Aura would've gotten it." Draco said.

"You've told me this a dozen times Draco. And I should remind you that it is not --prudent--to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear---ah, Mr. Borgin." Lucius said as he turned to a stooping man who had appeared from behind the counter.

"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again. Delighted---and young Mr. Malfoy too. Who is the girl, though? I don't recognize her." He said.

"Severus Snape's daughter. You remember the Dark Lord's brilliant Potions Master, I'm sure. He came here many times to acquire necessary ingredients." Mr. Malfoy said, calmly.

"Ah, yes, yes. I remember Severus very well. How may I be of assistance today? I have new items in today, and very reasonably priced-"

"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, I'm selling."

"Selling?" The smile from his face faded slightly.

"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," said Mr. Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unraveling it for Mr. Borgin to read. "I have a few----ah----items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call….."

Mr. Borgin fixed a pair of pince-nez to his nose, and looked down the list.

"The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"

Mr. Malfoy's lip curled.

"I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act-----no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it, and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it _appear_----"

"I understand, sir, of course," said Mr. Borgin. "Let me see…."

"Can I have that?" Draco asked pointing at the withered hand on its cushion.

"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son had fine taste sir."

"I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," said Mr. Malfoy coldly, amd Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offense sir, no offense meant----"

"Though if his grades don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy even more coldly still, "that may indeed be all he is fit for----"

"It's not my fault," retorted Draco. "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger----"

"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam," snapped Mr. Malfoy.

Aura melted into the background at this and just watched. She noticed a green eye peeking out of a cupboard, and then a scar. She turned away from it, tossing her hair, and going to stand near Mr. Malfoy.

"It's the same all over," Mr. Borgin said. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere----"

"Not with me," said Mr. Malfoy, his nostrils flaring.

"Nor with me, sir," said Mr. Borgin with a deep bow.

"In that case, perhaps we can return to my list," said Mr. Malfoy shortly. "I am in something of a hurry, Borgin, I have important business elsewhere today."

They started to haggle, and Draco and Aura looked around, examining everything.

"I can see it even better than the last time we came here!" Draco said, in awe.

"Maybe because last time we simply asked for runespoor eggs, and we had our hoods up, and we were worried we'd get caught." Aura retorted.

They left the shop soon after, and went directly to Gringotts. From there they bought parchment, quills, ink, robes at Madame Malkin's, and then they entered Flourish and Blotts. Aura and Draco went to the upper level and watched Lockhart getting his pictures taken.

"I can't believe _he's _our new defense teacher." Aura said, as she leaned against the staircase.

"What!?" Draco asked, shooting around to look at her.

"My father told me this morning when I asked about the books on our list." She said, shrugging.

They fell silent as they watched Lockhart pull Harry next to him to take a picture with him. Draco walked down the stairs, holding onto Aura's hand, and then walking up to Harry and saying

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco said, sneering at him.

"_Famous_ Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a _book-shop_ without making the front page."

"Leave him alone." A girl with red hair, that Aura recognized as Ginny Weasley said.

"Potter, you've got yourself a _girlfriend_!" Draco laughed. Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione came over, clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 20

"Oh it's you two," Ron said, as he glared at Draco. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprise as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Draco. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month just to pay for all those."

Ron went as red as Ginny, and started towards Draco, being held back by Harry and Hermione.

"So, Harry, what did you do all summer? Sign autographs? Or were you so busy with your mudblood and blood-traitor friends that you couldn't even pick up a quill." Aura asked, sneering at them.

Harry looked at her, hurt evident in his eyes, and then he said,

"What did you two do? Hang out in Knockturn Alley? It's the place you belong actually. Or did you brew potions with your rotten father?" He said, reddening.

"Come on, kids. Let's go outside." The voice of Arthur Weasley, said.

"Well, well, well----Arthur Weasley." Mr. Malfoy said, coming up from behind them. He put a hand on Draco's and Aura's shoulders, sneering at the Weasleys.

"Lucius." Mr. Weasley said, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids….I hope they're paying you overtime?"

He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration._

"Obviously not," he said. "What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," Arthur said.

"Clearly," Mr. Malfoy said, his pale grey eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley…and I thought your family could sink no lower. Come Draco, Aura. We have business elsewhere. Here, girl--- take your book---it's the best your father can give you--" He said as Aura stayed behind to get some more books.

"Mr. Malfoy!" she called out to him.

"Yes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll meet up with you at Florean Fortescue's, I just need to get some other books." She said, as he nodded and left with Draco. She briefly heard Hagrid say,

"Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that----no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter----bad blood, that's what it is----"

"You're wrong." Aura said, looking up to the giant "Now listen here----" Hagrid started.

"You're wrong. The Malfoy's are kind. I've known them since before I could walk. Whatever you say about them isn't true. At least they're decent enough to answer someone's letters, even if they hate the person," Aura said, looking pointedly at Harry.

"Aura look I-" He started.

"Save it Potter. You're no better than your mudblood friends." Aura said, walking up to the upper level again, and taking a few books on Salazaar Slytherin, and another on useful curses and hexes, that aren't light or dark. She paid the shopkeeper, and then stayed behind Draco, as he picked out a Nimbus Two Thousand and One. They were silent on the way back and said their goodbyes.

Once Aura got back home she pondered the hurt look on Harry's face. Was it possible that he hadn't gotten her letters? Was he ignoring her because she was a Slytherin or was he too busy with his friends?


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Aura went with her father once again to King's Cross, and on the Hogwarts Express. She sat with Draco, and after they had eaten lunch, she heard him say,

"Potter and Weasley aren't on the train, think they've been expelled?"

"I hope they have. I can't stand either of them." Aura replied, nibbling on the last of her chocolate frog.

"I thought you and Potter were friends."

"_Were _friends. Not anymore, though. He was _oh so busy_ this summer that he didn't even answer one of my letters. I must have sent him about a hundred of them."

"Well we still had fun over the summer right?"

"Yeah! I'll never forget your face when I threw the water and sand on you at the beach." Aura said, bursting into a fit of giggles, as Draco rolled his eyes.

"Laugh while you can." He grumbled, as they fell silent and looked back out the window.

They arrived promptly at the school and Harry and Ron were absolutely nowhere to be seen. Aura noticed her father's absence from the staff table and she assumed he must be disciplining them. The sorting began soon enough, and there were ten new Slytherins, seven Hufflepuffs, eleven Ravenclaws, and nine Gryffindors.

They retired to their common room soon after, and Aura went to her father's office. When she opened the door she saw Harry and Ron there with Professor McGonagall. They looked up at her, and she blushed a bit.

"Sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to interrupt. I was wondering if you'd seen my father-"

"Your father is finishing some potions for the hospital wing in his lab." She said, cutting off any arguments.

"I'll speak to him tomorrow then. Thank-you Professor." Aura said as she exited the office, and went back to their common room.

"Aura, we've got a good team this year. If you can catch the snitch at the beginning of the game instead of waiting then we'll win for sure." Marcus Flint said as he spotted her.

"Do you think Draco will make the team?" She asked, innocently.

"Malfoy? Yeah, actually he's our newest Chaser. Mr. Malfoy sent us Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones as a present, actually. Get a good rest, Aura. We start training day after tomorrow at the crack of dawn." Flint said, as he walked over to the other players.

Aura went upstairs and changed quickly, wanting to get a good night's sleep if he was going to have her up at the crack of dawn the morning after next.

* * *

The next morning Herbology went by in a breeze, and they had DADA next. Aura and Draco were walking across the courtyard when they heard a first-year with a camera say

"-could you sign it?"

Aura and Draco stared at each other, looks of disbelief on their faces.

"_Signed photos?_ You're giving out _signed photos, _Potter?" Draco said loudly and scathingly.

"Everyone line up!" Draco roared to the crowd. "Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"

"No, I'm not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching.

"Shut up Malfoy."

"You're just jealous." The first year said.

"_Jealous?_" Draco asked. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open make you that special, myself."

"Who are you anyways? Another idiot Gryffindor who's been put under Harry Potter's spell?" Aura asked, scathingly. "You'd better be careful, soon enough you'll be his own personal house elf." Aura said as she sneered at him.

"Eat slugs Snape, Malfoy." Ron said angrily.

"Be careful, Weasley," Draco sneered. "You don't want to start any trouble or your Mommy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill voice and started, "_If you put another toe out of line-_"

A knot of Slytherin fifth-years nearby laughed loudly at this.

"Weasley'd probably like a signed photo Potter. It's worth more than his family's whole house--" Draco said as Ron whipped out his taped wand. Gilderoy Lockhart walked in at that moment and asked,  
"What's all this, what's all this?"

Aura and Draco wisely disappeared back in the crowd and went to class, leaving Potter and Weasley to get the brunt of it.

When Lockhart got there they were given a quiz with fifty-four questions which were all similar to:

_1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?_

_2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

_3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_

_4. What is the class of Gilderoy Lockhart's Order of Merlin?_

_5. What is Gilderoy Lockhart the five time winner of?_

_6. Who is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite Singer?_

_7. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite subject?_

_8. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite sweet?_

_9. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite plant?_

_10. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite flower?_

_11. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite country?_

_12. Who is Gilderoy Lockhart's mother?_

_13. Who is Gilderoy Lockhart's best friend?_

_14. What candy does Gilderoy Lockhart hate?_

_15. Who is Gilderoy Lockhart's role model?_

_16. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite book?_

_17. What House was Gilderoy Lockhart in when he was in Hogwarts?_

_18. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday?_

_19. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's ideal gift?_

_20. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's second-favorite color?_

_21. In what country does Gilderoy Lockhart live?_

_22. In what country was Gilderoy Lockhart born?_

_23. In what country does Gilderoy Lockhart's family born?_

_24. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's most hated subject?_

_25. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite pastime?_

_26. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's strongest point?_

_27. What is the House Gilderoy Lockhart wanted to be in?_

_28. What family is Gilderoy Lockhart distantly related to?_

_29. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite place in the muggle world?_

_30. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite place in the Wizarding world?_

_31. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite muggle invention?_

_32. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite muggle fruit?_

_33. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite muggle drink?_

_34. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite wizard drink?_

_35. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite book?_

_36. Of which blood status is Gilderoy Lockhart?_

_37. Did Gilderoy Lockhart ever use glasses or braces when he was younger?_

_38. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite holiday?_

_39. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite month?_

_40. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite season?_

_41. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's least favorite color?_

_42. What is Gildery Lockhart's favorite teacher at Hogwarts?_

_43. Who was the potions teacher at the time Gilderoy Lockhart was in school?_

_44. Who was the best in the potions class when Gilderoy Lockhart was in school?_

_45. Who was Gilderoy Lockhart's friend when he was in Hogwarts?_

_46. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite type of shoe?_

_47. Does Gilderoy Lockhart like Muggle fashions or Wizard fashions?_

_48. What is his least favorite place in the muggle world.?_

_49. What is his least favorite in the Wizarding world?_

_50. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite shop in Diagon Alley?_

_51. Is Gilderoy Lockhart a Quidditch player?_

_52. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite time of day?_

_53. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite muggle book?_

_54. What language does Gilderoy Lockhart detest the most?_

Aura and Draco stared at each other and started answering the questions.

_1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?_

_Lilac_

_2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

_To succeed at something_

_3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's _

_greatest achievement to date?_

_Getting his overlarge ego through the door_

_4. What is the class of Gilderoy Lockhart's Order of _

_Merlin?_

_Third Class, sadly _

_5. What is Gilderoy Lockhart the five time winner of?_

_Witch Weekly's most Charming smile award, sadly _

_It should be for the most revolting personality _

_6. Who is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite Singer?_

_Celestina Warbeck_

_7. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite subject?_

_Charms_

_8. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite sweet?_

_Acid Pops_

_9. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite plant?_

_Mimblus Nimbletonia_

_10. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite flower?_

_Rose_

_11. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite country?_

_Mongolia_

_12. Who is Gilderoy Lockhart's mother?_

_An ugly old toad_

_13. Who is Gilderoy Lockhart's best friend?_

_A picture of himself, because he has no friends _

_14. What candy does Gilderoy Lockhart hate?_

_Chocolate Frogs_

_15. Who is Gilderoy Lockhart's role model?_

_Albus Dumbledore, sadly Gilderoy is nothing like _

_him_

_16. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite book?_

_Magical Me, his autobiography_

_17. What House was Gilderoy Lockhart in when he was in Hogwarts?_

_Hufflepuff_

_18. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday?_

_Halloween, it's the only time something like him _

_could be born, actually_

_19. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's ideal gift?_

_A pump, so he can deflate his overlarge ego_

_20. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's second-favorite _

_color?_

_Yellow. It matches his horrible hair._

_21. In what country does Gilderoy Lockhart live?_

_Ireland_

_22. In what country was Gilderoy Lockhart born?_

_England_

_23. In what country does Gilderoy Lockhart's family _

_born?_

_Scotland_

_24. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's most hated subject?_

_Potions_

_25. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite pastime?_

_Staring at himself in a mirror, how sad. _

_26. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's strongest subject?_

_Herbology _

_27. What is the House Gilderoy Lockhart wanted to _

_be in?_

_Slytherin, but he couldn't get in because he's an _

_idiot_

_28. What family is Gilderoy Lockhart distantly _

_related to?_

_The Malfoys _

_29. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite place in the _

_muggle world?_

_The mall_

_30. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite place in the _

_Wizarding world?_

_Diagon Alley_

_31. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite muggle _

_invention?_

_Hair Dryers_

_32. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite muggle _

_fruit?_

_Pineapples_

_33. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite muggle _

_drink?_

_Apple Juice_

_34. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite wizard _

_drink?_

_Ogden's Old Firewhiskey_

_35. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite book?_

_Charles Dickens: Great Expectations_

_36. Of which blood status is Gilderoy Lockhart?_

_Half-blood_

_37. Did Gilderoy Lockhart ever use glasses or braces_

_when he was younger?_

_If he did, it certainly doesn't show._

_38. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite holiday?_

_Valentine's Day_

_39. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite month?_

_June_

_40. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite season?_

_Spring_

_41. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's least favorite color?_

_Black_

_42. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite teacher at _

_Hogwarts?_

_Horace Slughorn_

_43. Who was the potions teacher at the time Gilderoy _

_Lockhart was in school?_

_Horace Slughorn _

_44. Who was the best in the potions class when _

_Gilderoy Lockhart was in school?_

_Severus Snape_

_45. Who was Gilderoy Lockhart's friend when he was _

_in Hogwarts?_

_Lockhart had friends!?_

_46. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite type of _

_shoe?_

_Bunny slippers_

_47. Does Gilderoy Lockhart like Muggle fashions or _

_Wizard fashions?_

_Muggle fashions_

_48. What is his least favorite place in the muggle _

_world?_

_Pubs_

_49. What is his least favorite in the Wizarding world?_

_Knockturn Alley_

_50. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite shop in _

_Diagon Alley?_

_Magical Menagerie_

_51. Is Gilderoy Lockhart a Quidditch player?_

_No. He doesn't have the build or talent for it_

_52. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite time of day?_

_Mid-day_

_53. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite muggle _

_book?_

_Treasure Island_

_54. What language does Gilderoy Lockhart detest the _

_most?_

_Parseltongue_

Aura reviewed her answers, and she knew she was going to be in deep trouble, but quite frankly, she couldn't care less. She turned in her paper at his desk and sat down again.

"Stay after class." He ordered her, with a frown crossing his face.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Lockhart started his lesson, and finally ended up setting loose some Cornish Pixies. Everyone had run from the class, and he left the trio to round them up. Aura wisely slipped out, when they were released, she took Draco with her and they made their way back to the courtyard.

"How did you do on the stupid test Lockhart gave us?" Draco asked, slamming his bag down in disgust.

"He wanted me to stay after class because of it, actually. It was quite funny, really. If I get a detention, then it's definitely worth it." Aura said.

"What did you put on it?"

"I answered the question of what is his greatest achievement to date, with, getting his overlarge ego through the door." She said as they burst out in laughter.

"Did you answer any others like that?"

"Most of them, yes."

"Miss Aurelia." She heard a voice say from across the courtyard, and she saw the obnoxious Lockhart striding towards her.

"Come on, I'm talking to your Head of House about this quiz. You have a detention with me tomorrow night by the way." He said, as he guided Aura towards the dungeons, and down to her father's office. He knocked on the door and heard a soft

"Enter," from inside.

"Professor Snape. One of your students thought it would be funny to write insults on their quiz today. I just thought you should see it." He said, as he put the quiz on her father's desk. Her father picked it up and read over it, smirking slightly.

"Which student, may I ask?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"She was right behind--Aurelia come here! She has a detention with me tomorrow night." Lockhart said in a know-it-all tone.

"Explanation?" Her father asked, handing her the parchment.

"Um, I thought it would be funny, besides, it isn't like I put down complete lies either. I got most of them right." Aura said, sitting down in one of her father's chairs.

"Aurelia-"

"Don't call me Aurelia. Professor Lockhart."

"She wishes to be called Aura or Amethyst, as that is her middle name." Her father said.

"Very well, Professor Snape."

"Amethyst, you need to start putting effort into your work." Lockhart said.

"Your books are rubbish! I don't believe you've done a single thing in there!" Aura said, losing her temper and grabbing her bag from the corner where she had left it.

"I'll come back down later, Father, and you can decide my punishment then, but right now you have to teach my potions class."

"Aura, sit down _now_." Her father said.

"What does she mean father?" Lockhart asked, narrowing his eyes.

"If you must know, Lockhart, this is my daughter Aurelia Amethyst. I believe I said so at a staff meeting, but you must have been busy looking at a picture of yourself." Her father sneered at a very stunned Lockhart. "Now if you don't mind I do have a class to teach." He said, rising from his seat and walking towards the classroom. Aura shot Lockhart a glare, and followed her father.

The rest of the day went swimmingly and soon enough it was the next morning. She was woken up by another girl on her House team, Bethany Hanson.

"Come on. Wake up Aura! We're practicing today. We need you to get your father to give us a note to use the Quidditch Pitch." She said, shaking her awake.

"Bethany? What-Oh! Flint told me to wake up early today! Sorry, I'll be right down!" She called as she rushed to the girl's bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later she came downstairs, to find the rest of the team sitting there, including a very sleepy Draco.

"There you are Aura! We need you to go get a note from your father, that says we're allowed to practice today. Oh, and your new broomstick is on the couch, latest model actually." Flint said, and started discussing strategies for the playing field again.

Yawning, Aura made her way to her father's office and entered, without bothering to knock.

"Dad? Dad!" She called as she sat down.

"Yes, Aura?" He asked, emerging from his private storeroom.

"Can you please write a note saying the Slytherin team is allowed to practice today. We really need to train our new Chaser." Aura said, looking at him pleadingly.

"Of course. Who's the new Chaser?" He asked as he started to write the note.

"Draco." She said, taking the note he had handed her, and reading it:

_I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Chaser._

"This is great, thanks Dad!" She called, slipping out of the office, and going back to her common room.

"I got the note." She said, handing it to Flint.

"Great, let's go then." He said, as they grabbed their new brooms, and headed out towards the field. When they got there Oliver Wood, Gryffindor captain, bellowed,  
"Flint! This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

"Plenty of room for all of us Wood." Flint said, coolly.

"I booked the field."

"Ah, but I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape." He said, handing over the note.

"You've got a new Chaser? Who?" Wood asked, distracted.

Draco stepped up from behind the larger players, and smirked at him.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" A red-haired boy said, that Aura recognized as Fred Weasley.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole team smiled even more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's given the Slytherin team." Flint said, as they all held out their broomsticks. "Very latest model. Only came out last month," Flint said carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Nimbus Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps--" he said, smiling nastily at Fred and George who were both holding Cleansweep Fives-- "sweeps the board with them. Oh, look. A field invasion." He said, pointing at Ron and Hermione, who were crossing over to see what was happening.

"What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what're _they_ doing here?" He said, looking at Draco and Aura.

"I'm the new Slytherin Chaser, and Aura's still the Seeker," Draco said smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team."

Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him.

"Good aren't they?" said Draco smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."

The Slytherin team howled with laughter.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent." Hermione said sharply.

"No one asked your opinion," Aura said, coming to Draco's defense. "Filthy little Mudblood. How they let _your_ kind in Hogwarts I'll never know."

There was an instant uproar when she finished speaking. Flint pulled her and Draco behind him, to stop Fred and George Weasley from jumping and tackling them.

"_How dare you!"_ Ron screamed. "You'll pay for that one, Snape!" He yelled at her, and ducked under Flint and pointed it at her face.

A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backwards onto the grass.

"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" Hermione squealed.

Ron opened his mouth to speak and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth, ad onto his lap.

"Looks like the blood-traitor got his due!" Aura said, as she laughed coldly, holding onto Draco for support. The others laughed with her also, and the Gryffindor team gathered around Ron, who kept on vomiting large, glistening slugs.

"Come on, let's start practice. Nice one Aura. You're a true Slytherin." Flint said, smiling down at her. Aura smirked and climbed up onto her broom.

Draco was a decent Chaser and they praised him continuously for it. Aura was caught between amusement and anger, at that. They had never praised her that much. But, he was a very good Chaser.

* * *

That evening came all too quickly, and Aura made her way to Lockhart's office, grudgingly. Harry was there and Aura narrowed her eyes at him.

"Harry." She greeted him coldly.

"Aura." He greeted back just as coldly, but with a trace of hurt in his voice.

"You two can address envelopes!" Lockhart said cheerfully, as he set them to work. They were in there for a long time, as the candles burned lower and lower.

Aura heard a voice saying.

"_Come…come to me…Let me rip you…Let me tear you…Let me kill you…"_

What!?" Aura and Harry said at the same time.

"I know!" Lockhart said. "Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!"

"No," Harry said, frantically. "That voice!"

"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"Didn't you hear it?" Harry asked.

"Perhaps you're getting a bit drowsy? Go on back to your common rooms. We've been here nearly four hours.." Lockhart said as both Harry and Aura left his office.

"Did you hear it?" He asked her.

"I thought we weren't talking." Aura said.

"Please, Aura. I need to know."

"Yes. I did hear it." She said as Harry's bag strap broke and his books fell out.

"Oh great!" He said, bending down to pick them up.

"What's this?" Aura asked, picking up a book titled, _The Honorable Prince Family._

"I got it out of the library awhile ago. Why?" Harry asked.

"Harry, this book is about my family."

"It's about the Princes not the Snapes."

"My grandmother was Eileen Prince."

"Aura-I-no. No. It's not possible." He said, shaking his head.

"What's not possible?"

"Salazaar Slytherin is in that family. He's distantly related, but it says in this book that all of the family members have his same qualities."

"That's true. My entire family has been in Slytherin, except for my grandmother who was a Ravenclaw. Do you mind if I borrow this, Harry? I could really use it. My father and I don't know much about our family. My grandmother died when he was fifteen." She said, shaking her head.

"Sure. Just bring it back to me in Gryffindor Tower. The password is 'wattleworth'." He said as she raised an eyebrow.

"Kay. Let's go before Filch finds us. Bye Harry. It was nice talking to you, even if we are only friends for a minute." She said, holding his hand, and then turning down the corridor to the Slytherin common room.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Soon it was time for the Halloween Feast. Aura had read through about half of the book and so far it only described distant relations. The bloodlines were only dated up to Eileen Prince, so no one would know that it was her family.

Aura looked around when she got to the feast and saw the trio was nowhere to be found. She and Draco ate a bit, socialized, and then she excused herself, wanting to finish reading a bit more. Aura read for about another hour, and finally deemed the book as useless.

It only went up to her grandmother's time so it had absolutely nothing about her and her father in it. Her grandfather wasn't listed in there because he was a muggle.

Aura walked up to Gryffindor tower and was greeted by the Fat Lady.

"You're not a Gryffindor. State your business." She said rudely.

"I'm returning a book to someone. The password is 'wattleworth,' I believe." Aura answered back.

The Fat Lady glared at her, and swung open. When she climbed in she noticed the few people who had come from the feast were staring at her, so she went up to the prefect, Percy Weasley.

"Excuse me. Percy Weasley?" She said politely.

"Slytherins aren't allowed in other House common rooms." He said back.

"I need to find Harry. He lent me a book of his and I'd like to give it back."

"He's not here. Actually, I don't know where he is."

"Oh. Thank you anyways. I'll just give it back tomorrow." Aura said as she exited quickly after.

She walked down the corridors, and as soon as she was nearing the dungeons she heard the same voice from Lockhart's office.

"…_rip…tear…kill…soo hungry…for so long…"_

Aura ran down the corridor, as it said,

"…_kill…time to kill…"_

She kept running until she ran into something hard. Aura screamed and got up instantly, wand at the ready, and then she saw it was just Harry.

"What are you doing here?" She said furiously.

"Me? What are you doing here?"

"I was going back to my common room. I was up in Gryffindor tower to return the book, but you weren't there."

"Aura I-"

"Ssh. I hear it again, louder, this time come on." She said, motioning to Harry.

'…_I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD!"_

Aura screamed again as she came face-to-face with Mrs. Norris. She had been hung up on a torch, and on the wall there was writing.

**THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN**

**OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.**

"Oh, Oh! Harry! It's written in blood!" Aura said, as she shied away from the message.

Her face was ashen, and she was near fainting at the moment. At the same time, the people inside the Great Hall, exited. Aura slipped past them, and blended into the crowd, unnoticed.

Everyone stopped talking as soon as they saw the cat. Then, someone shouted, disrupting the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next Mudbloods!"

Aura latched onto his arm, as soon as she was close enough to him, and tried to look anywhere other than the cat, the water, and the writing on the wall.

* * *

It had been several days since Mrs. Norris had been petrified, and Aura never went closer to anyone from another House than she could help it.

In Transfiguration, Hermione asked about the Chamber of Secrets, and for the first time, Aura was actually interested in learning about it.

"Something only the heir of Slytherin can control? What do they mean by that?" Aura asked Draco later on.

"I think they mean, that it's a large snake or something. Salazaar Slytherin could speak Parseltongue, so it probably is a snake." Draco said, acting smart. Aura rolled her eyes, and they walked off to their next class.

* * *

That day after class, found the trio in the common room.

"I think Malfoy's the heir of Slytherin." Ron said, ignoring the others.

"I don't know-" Harry started, but was cut off by Ron.

"Come on Harry! You heard what he said!"

"Boys, honestly. Harry give me that book I lent you, I remember something in there that might be useful."

Hermione said, as Harry went to hand her the book, but realized Aura hadn't given it back to him, because they had been in shock that other night.

"I loaned it to Aura." Harry groaned.

"Why would she want it? Malfoy would probably be into it, but not her." Ron said, stubbornly.

"Ron! I remember something she told me though-" he said and was cut off by the portrait hole opening.

* * *

Aura made her way up to the Gryffindor common room once again, and got in without much trouble.

"Harry!" She called as she entered. "I forgot to give you this back the other night, I was so caught up in the shock of the moment."

"Why did you want the book? It's not as if there's anything interesting in there." Hermione said, as Aura glared at her.

"I don't need to explain myself to filthy mudbloods, but if you must know, then it was about my family."

Aura said, smugly.

"It's about the Prince family not-"

"I know, Weasley. My grandmother was Eileen Prince. She died when my father was fifteen, and I've been trying to find out more about her." Aura said, handing the book to Harry.

"I have to go, Harry. Draco wanted to talk to me and Pansy privately. See you." Aura said, leaving the common room.

* * *

"How dare she-" Ron started, but was cut off by Hermione saying,

"Leave it Ron. It doesn't matter, if my theory is correct then we've got our proof on the heir of Slytherin," Hermione said, opening the book.

_The Prince family derives from many different pureblood families. Salazaar Slytherin himself married into the family, but then separated and married into the Gaunt family. He had two children, one male and one female. The female child took on the Gaunt name, while the male child took on the Prince name. _

_Both families have the abilities of Salazaar Slytherin. The Gaunt family is rumored to have died out, after their fall to poverty. The Prince family is getting richer everyday. They own part of Knockturn Alley, as they shared Slytherin's interest in the Dark Arts. _

_The last known member of the Prince family was Eileen Prince, who married a muggle and had a baby boy. Though the muggle's name and the baby's name are unknown, the baby became a powerful wizard, and is rumored to be living in a secluded Manor. _

_Prince Manor was built by Slytherin's son, and it lies on the east coast of England. It is grander than Hogwarts, but with modern commodities. It overlooks a beach, and has excellent pastures where it's resident horses stay._

_All in all, the Prince family is the most powerful one today and the richest. They have more than fifteen Gringotts vaults filled to the brim with gold, and another twenty filled with rare, dark, and expensive items. _

_The Princes have always had close ties with the third most powerful family, the Malfoys. The Black family was the seconds most powerful, and it is rumored they severed links when Sirius Orion Black broke away from the family, and was labeled as a blood-traitor, along with his sister Andromeda Black. _

_Narcissa and Bellatrix Black were devastated but, Abraxas Black was able to persuade the Princes to come back, by taking in Eileen's half-blood son. It is rumored he ran away and joined the Dark Lord, along with Bellatrix, while Narcissa married Lucius Malfoy. _

_The half-blood son, was rumored to have married a pure-blood American witch, and it was also rumored that he had three daughters and two sons. Only one daughter, the middle one, is rumored to have survived an attack on their summer home. _

_If the rumors that the Gaunts have died out are true, then the last known heir of Slytherin is the half-blood son's daughter. _

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks. Ron was looking at a Quidditch magazine by now. They knew who the heir of Slytherin was.

"We need to get into that common room." Harry said, as Hermione nodded.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 24

It was Saturday morning, and the day of the first Quidditch match of the year. Aura pulled on her green robes, and went downstairs to meet Draco, who was sitting by the fireplace looking nervous.

"Nervous Draco?" Aura teased as she sat down next to him.

"First game. My father's going to be watching us there. I'm one of the smallest Chasers in history." Draco said, putting his head in his hands.

"Draco, act like it's a practice game. Like the ones we used to play when we were younger. You can do it Dragon. I know you can." Aura said, taking his hand and looking directly into his eyes.

Draco nearly shivered at the cold black gaze she was holding him in, but he saw the compassion and determination in her eyes, so he nodded.

"I'm ready for this." He said, not really ready for anything except going back to sleep at the moment.

They ate breakfast quickly and ran down to the stadium where Flint was giving them a pep-talk and walking through the strategy again. He gave a look when they ran in, but ignored them as he finished talking.

"Aura, you need to get the snitch as soon as you possibly can. Malfoy, do what the other Chasers do, we'll block whoever has the Quaffle on four sides and steal it from them. There's no way we'll lose. We have the better brooms and the better players. Aura, you know Potter's weakness so go for it. Stop at nothing." Flint said, nodding at them both.

Soon enough they were on the field, and Madam Hooch had released the balls up into the air.

"All right there, Scarhead?" Draco asked, as he and Aura shot out from under Harry, showing off their new brooms.

Harry had no time to reply at that moment, a Bludger came pelting towards him. Draco was focused on the game now, and Slytherin scored again. The Bludger stayed after Harry, and Wood called time out.

"Who tampered with the Bludger?" Flint asked, as soon as they had landed.

"Aura? Draco? I know you both hate Potter, but-"

"I don't know that much magic yet! Most of what I know is dueling magic, not something as stupid and immature as tampering with a ruddy Bludger!" Aura said, furious that she was being accused.

"Higgs? Bethany? Pucey? Bletchley? Montague? Warrington? Anyone?" Flint asked, as the others shook their heads no. "If I find out someone did this on our team and we get eliminated from the House cup they will pay. Now let's go again."

The game resumed and Harry was still trying to dodge the Bludger.

"Training for the ballet, Potter?" Aura asked scathingly as she zoomed past him.

And then she saw it, the snitch. She took off in the opposite direction, and did a fantastic Wronski Feint, as Harry followed her. She zoomed upwards and as she was reaching out for the snitch a Bludger came towards her arm, she dodged it and it hit Harry's arm with a sickening crack. He fell off his broom, unable to hold on. Ignoring her guilt about it, she put on another burst of speed, and caught the snitch. Slytherin had won 210-0.

As soon as she landed on the grass she saw Harry surrounded by the rest of the Gryffindor team. Everyone on the Slytherin team went to congratulate her, and she saw a rare smile from Lucius Malfoy, directed at her. Her father was also smiling a bit, and she beamed at both of them.

"That was bloody brilliant Aura!" Draco said, as he enveloped her in a hug. She laughed at this statement and hugged him back.

They were so busy celebrating that they hadn't noticed Lockhart, coming up from behind them and casting a charm on Harry. Harry's arm now looked like a rubber glove. The idiot, Lockhart, had removed all the bones.

* * *

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went into the hospital wing with Harry as Madam Pomfrey fussed over him. Oliver Wood, and the Weasley twins had come in with sweets and drinks.

"Good game, Harry. It wasn't your fault. I couldn't have held off the Bludger, if it were me." Wood said, trying to make him feel better.

At that moment the doors opened and in came the very last person Harry wanted to see at the moment, Aura.

* * *

Aura walked into the hospital wing, levitating two cauldrons. She looked around and noticed that Wood and the Weasley twins were there.

"What're you doing here?" One of them, George, asked.

"Yeah, if you've come to gloat get out." The other one, Fred, said.

"I'm not immature unlike some people." Aura said, rolling her eyes. "I'm here to give the potions to Madam Pomfrey."

At that moment Madam Pomfrey walked in.

"Oh, good, I'm glad Severus sent you so quickly. Do you have the skele-grow?" She said.

"The reddish-brown one is blood-replenishing potion, and the pink one is skele-grow." Aura said, handing her the cauldrons.

"Good game, by the way, Harry. Can't wait for the next one." Aura said, smirking at the Gryffindor's outraged faces.

She left quickly, to join in the celebration, and what promised to be, a very, very good time.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 25

It was nearly the winter holidays. Soon enough, it was Thursday afternoon, and they were having potions class. They were making a Swelling Solution. Aura was concentrated on her potion, and she was startled when Goyle's potion exploded.

With the reflexes of a Seeker she ducked under her desk, and watched as the rest of the class was sprayed with the potion. After her father had administered the Deflating Draught, he reached into Goyle's cauldron and pulled out a burnt firework.

"If I ever find out who threw this," he whispered, "I shall _make sure_ that person is expelled."

Her father was looking at Harry, and Aura had a slight suspicion he had thrown it.

* * *

A week later there were posters about a Dueling Club.

"Look, Draco," she said, indicating the signs, "It's tonight!" Draco nodded his approval and they both fell silent again.

They arrived at the Great Hall, and in place of the four House table, there was now a dueling platform. Lockhart was droning on and on, and then she saw her father with a murderous expression on his face.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart said, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agree to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry---you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" Lockhart said, idiotically. 'Ha!' Aura thought, 'My father was a dueling champion at eighteen, there's no way you'll even be able to cast a spell at him, Lockhart.'

"On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill of course." --which Aura seriously doubted, judging by the look on her father's face-- "One---two---three---"

"_Expelliarmus!"_ Aura's father shouted, and Lockhart was blasted off his feet, and into a wall. Aura and nearly all the Slytherins cheered, loudly, while others rushed to the Professor's aid.

Aura tuned him out, as he tried to explain and cover up his incompetence. She only tuned in when he said,

"Let's have a volunteer pair---Potter and Weasley perhaps?"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart." Her father said, gliding over like a malevolent bat. "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Potter to he hospital wing in a matchbox. How about someone from my own House? Aura perhaps?" He asked as he motioned for Aura to step up and face Harry.

"Excellent idea! Now Harry, you do this." He said, as he attempted a complicated sort of wiggling motion, and dropped it. Aura and her father smirked simultaneously, as Lockhart picked it up and tried to cover that up again.

"Three---two---one---go!" he shouted.

Aura raised her wand and shouted, _"Serpensortia!"_ The end of her wand exploded, and long, black snake shot out of it, falling heavily on the floor between them, and raised it's head ready to strike.

"Don't move, Potter, I'll get rid of it…" Her father started, but was interrupted by Lockhart saying,

"Allow me, Professor Snape!" He brandished his wand and the snake shot upwards instead of vanishing. It fell back ready to strike, again.

"_Hungry…yess…food…"_

"_Don't hurt him… he'sss not food…"_Aura hissed, as Harry did the same.

"_Leave him alone! You may not hurt him.."_ Harry shouted.

"_You ssspeak? Both of you, how nice…there have been no sspeakerssss for a very long time…" _

"_What iss your name?"_ Aura asked the snake.

"_Ariad…I am from India…thank you sspeakers, for ssetting me free…"_ the snake hissed, as Aura's father raised his wand, and muttered a spell.

"What're you playing at?" Justin Finch-Fletchly asked, his face ashen and looking scared.

Aura looked towards her father and saw him, looking at her with a puzzled expression. Angry, and wanting to leave, she ran out of the room, and towards the grounds. It was late at night, but Aura sat under her favorite tree by the lake, angry and confused.

"Aura. Aura!" She heard her father calling her. Aura let a few stray tears run down her cheeks, and looked over at the lake.

"Aura, when did you learn you could speak Parseltongue?"

"The day before the Death Eater attack at the summer home. I've never spoken to one since that day, but I never realized-I mean I didn't-I didn't realize I was speaking it in front of the whole school. Can you speak it too?"

"Yes. It's a talent passed down from our ancestors."

"We're related to Salazaar Slytherin. I read a book called _The Honorable Prince Family,_ because I wanted to know more about my grandmother."

"I know, Aura. I actually found out a few years ago, but after the attack I forgot about it until recent events made me remember."

"Harry spoke it too."

"It surprises me that Potter is a Parselmouth, he had absolutely no Slytherin ancestry whatsoever. Come on, Aura. It's getting cold outside, and I believe I see Draco waiting at the entrance of the castle."

"Thank you Daddy." Aura whispered, as she let her father guide her towards the castle.

She slipped inside, and tried to pass Draco, but he kept up with her until they got to the dungeons when Aura turned to him and said,

"If you want to ask me something, go ahead."

"I wanted to know how you can speak Parseltongue."

"I don't know, Draco. It probably has something to do with my ancestors. Can we just drop it please? I really don't want to talk about it." She said as they slipped into the common room.

When she entered everyone, was instantly quiet. She glared at them, and then fled up to her dorm, leaving a stunned and hurt Draco behind.

Aura was walking up to the library and she ran into Harry, who was listening in on what they were saying.

"Harry," she whispered. "I need to talk to you. I don't believe you're behind the attacks." She said as Harry waved a hand at her to shush her, and moved closer to listen to the Hufflepuffs.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 26

"Harry," she whispered. "I need to talk to you. I don't believe you're behind the attacks." She said as Harry waved a hand at her to shush her, and moved closer to listen to the Hufflepuffs.

"You think Potter is the heir of Slytherin, Ernie?" A girl with blonde pigtails, Hannah Abbott, asked. "I mean, what about that Slytherin girl? She was also talking to the snake, they're both Parselmouths."

"Hannah, everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark witch or wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue." A stout boy, named Ernie said.

"He survived You-know-who because he has other powers. I think that he was attacked because you-know-who didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him."

"What about the Slytherin girl?"

"She's downright nasty, called Justin a 'mudblood' the other day for no reason."

"She looks a lot like Professor Snape, do you think they're related?"

"Definitely. I mean he always calls her Aura, instead of by her last name like he does with everyone else."

"Do you think the Professor is a Dark wizard?"

"I'd bet anything that he's got the Dark Mark, burned on his arm. He's always favoring Slytherin's whose parents were Death Eaters."

"Think he's a Parseltongue too?"

"I'd bet he is. The whole lot of them are probably related to Slytherin. Haven't you seen how Draco Malfoy hangs on the girl's every word. They're always together, and they're both rotten to the core." Ernie finished, smirking slightly. Aura, having heard enough, chose that moment to reveal herself.

"If you're done talking about me behind my back, then I'll get the book I need. Oh, and just for your information, Professor Snape is my father, and he's not a Dark wizard."

The Hufflepuffs blanched as she gave them a piercing stare, and pushed Ernie out of her way.

"You're lucky that Madam Pince is in here, because if she wasn't I'd hex you into oblivion."

"Aura, come on. Let's go." Harry said, revealing himself.

"You're friends!" Ernie said, all the blood draining out of his face.

"Yes, we are. Oh, and don't be spreading rumors or else, got it?" She said as he nodded hastily. "Good. Come on, Harry. I wanted to show you something in that book." Aura said, taking a large book of one of the middle shelves and going towards the back of the library.

"What is it?" He asked.

"_Silencio."_ Aura muttered, casting a silencing spell around them so they would not be overheard.

"I wanted to tell you that you're not the heir of Slytherin, Harry. I am. I'm not attacking anyone, though. The attack on Mrs. Norris really did scare me."

"Everyone is going to think we're working together."

"I know that."

"We have to do something!"

"Colin Creevy was attacked the other night, Harry, things are just getting worse!"

"Let's just go, maybe things will just smooth over. Oh, look, Ginny's coming over." Harry said, canceling the silencing charm easily.

"Harry, I need to talk to you--"

"I'm leaving, bye, Harry." Aura said, leaving the library.

Aura turned down a corridor to the dungeons and let out a scream as she saw Justin Finch-Fletchly and Nearly Headless Nick both petrified. The first person to run out of the library was Harry and he grew ashen at seeing the two petrified beings.

"Oh, Harry!" Aura exclaimed, turning her head into his shoulder.

Aura started running towards the dungeons, she collided with an ashen-faced Ginny Weasley, and pushed her out of the way, but Ginny's bracelet was caught on her bag, and her things, along with Ginny's spilled out.

She picked up her things quickly and ran back out into the corridor to see Harry being led away by a livid McGonagall. Aura turned to the corridor leading to the dungeons, leaving behind the rest of the student population. She was about to start reading her book again when she saw a small black diary with the words T.M. Riddle printed on the first page

Curious, Aura got out her quill and an inkwell and let one drop of ink drip onto the page where it dissolved into the page instantly. She started to write then,

_Who are you?_

_I am Tom Riddle. Who are you?_

_Amethyst._

_Hm. A girl named Ginny had me in her possession before. _

_Why does she have this?_

_Amethyst, do not ask too much. _

_I want to know. _

_I cannot tell you. _

_Fine. When you were at Hogwarts what House were you in?_

_Slytherin. You?_

_Slytherin. Were there any Parselmouths when you were here?_

_Yes. _

_Who?_

_I cannot tell you that either. What is your blood status?_

_Half-blood, because of my muggle grandfather on my father's side. . _

_Interesting._

_Did you know anyone whose name was Eileen Prince?_

_Yes. A Ravenclaw. Why?_

_She is my grandmother._

_You are of Prince blood?_

_Yes. I have to go someone's coming._

_Will you write again?_

_Only if you tell me why Ginny Weasley has the diary and who was the Parselmouth._

_I will tell you the second, as I do not know the answer to the first, myself. _

_Until later then. Good day Tom._

_The same to you Amethyst._

Aura closed the diary, bewildered by what had just happened. The next day found Aura writing in the diary again.

_Hello Tom._

_Amethyst, you are back._

_I won't write anything else until you tell me who spoke Parseltongue._

_I did. I just didn't want you to be afraid of me. _

_I'm not. I can speak Parseltongue too, that's another thing we have in common. _

_I am impressed._

_Good. Someone's coming, I'll try to talk to you again soon. Bye Tom. _

_Good-bye Amethyst. _

Aura slammed the diary closed, and looked around, Pansy Parkinson had just come in, followed by Ginny Weasley.

"Aura, she wants to talk to you. Sorry, but I couldn't get rid of the little pest." Pansy said, sneering at Ginny. Aura nodded towards her as she turned towards the red-haired girl.

"What do you want?"

"I want my diary back please."

"No."

"I'll go to Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore."

"Do you really think I care?"

"Please."

"No."

"Fine then. You asked for it." Ginny said as she pushed Aura backwards, so that she fell on the hard stone floor. Ginny grabbed the diary and ran for her life from the dungeons, jumping at every little shadow or noise.

Aura's head was bleeding from where it had hit the floor, she started coughing, and little specks of blood came up. She could barely breathe, and couldn't speak at all.

Pansy rushed downstairs when she heard a scream, and saw Aura's head bleeding on the floor.

"Get---my-------father!" She yelled at Pansy. Pansy nodded and ran towards the potions classroom.

Class was in session, but she burst through the door.

"What is the meaning of this Miss Parkinson?" Professor Snape asked, looking up from the essays he was grading.

"Professor! It's Aura! She's bleeding badly." Pansy said, chest heaving from running all the way there.

"Class dismissed!" Professor Snape yelled, as he rushed towards the door.

"Where is she?"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 27

"Common room." Pansy said, running to keep up with him.

When they got there Draco was kneeling over Aura, and trying to clean off the blood from her hair.

Professor Snape, leant over his daughter, picking her up in his arms, and had every intent of carrying her to the hospital wing, before he saw how much she was bleeding.

"_Accio Blood-Replenishing Potion!"_ He growled, as the potion flew into his outstretched hand.

After he had administered the potion, and clotted the wound so it wasn't bleeding as badly, he picked her up and carried her to the infirmary, without a word.

"Sir? Could I come with you please? I really want to know how she's doing." Draco said, in a meek voice.

The professor merely nodded his approval, as they walked in silence towards the hospital wing. Several students stopped and gaped at the sight. In the hospital wing the professor entered with her in his arms and yelled out,

"Poppy! Get out here now!"

The students in the hospital wing, all busied themselves with the scene unfolding before them. Ginny Weasley was there with Justin Finch-Fletchly, and she gasped at the sight before her. She felt a bit guilty now, and she slipped out of the hospital wing unnoticed.

While Madam Pomfrey was examining and bandaging the wound, Draco was able to see how serious it was. Aura had a deep gash on her head, and he could see it would take awhile to heal. He held her hand the entire time, while the professor sat by his daughter's side, unwilling to leave even for a minute.

* * *

When Aura woke up, all she could see was blurriness. She tried to sit up, but gasped at the pain in her head, and then she remembered. The rotten Weasley girl had pushed her off the chair in an attempt to get the diary, and she had hit her head hard on the floor.

She could hear two soft snores, and saw both Draco and her father asleep in the chairs. There were a few things on the table beside her bed, such as a Chocolate Frog, Sugar Quill, and a box of Bertie Botts every flavor beans. There were two cards, along with them.

She settled down in bed again, to take a small nap. The sleeping potion must still have been working.

* * *

Aura woke up later in the day to someone shaking her shoulder softly. She could feel someone holding her hand, and her father was scrutinizing her with his intense gaze. She looked up to see the headmaster standing next to her.

"I believe you have had a miraculous recovery. You will be ready to leave the hospital wing by the start of winter holidays. Who did this to you?" The old headmaster asked, his eyes devoid of all twinkling.

"Ginny Weasley pushed me off the chair I was sitting on, because she was trying to get a book I had on the table. She pushed me so hard that I hit the floor. After that, I remember her grabbing the book and running out of the common room. Pansy came downstairs later, and I told her to get my father." Aura said.

"Are you sure it was the Weasley's daughter? Not someone who looked like her, that you mistook for her?"

"I'm sure. We talked for awhile before she pushed me." Aura said, as Draco tightened his hold on her hand.

"I'll call Molly Weasley and let her know, then. Ginerva will receive a detention with your father, and we will talk about what happened." The headmaster said, exiting the hospital wing.

"Aura, take this," her father said, holding out a vial of potion to her. "It's a sleeping potion, mixed with a very mild pain relief."

Aura nodded and sipped the potion, trying not to gag at the taste of it. She fell into the bliss of darkness, faintly remembering someone saying something along the lines of 'I love you, Amethyst,' and, 'Goodnight my child.'

* * *

Aura woke soon enough to the sound of two voices arguing.

"You will apologize immediately, Ginerva!" Molly Weasley yelled at her daughter.

"She was the one who started it, she had my book!" Ginny yelled back.

"You really didn't have to push me down, first of all Weasley." Aura said, sitting up slowly.

"I apologize most profusely on my part, Aurelia. I never knew Ginerva was capable of such things."

"Sorry." Ginny ground out, leaving the hospital wing.

"It's fine, Mrs. Weasley. I'm just glad Pansy was able to get my father in time." Aura said, trying to diffuse any and all arguments.


	27. Chapter 27

Aura stayed in the hospital wing for the rest of the week, her father and Draco never leaving her side, except for classes. There were rumors around the school, that got back to Aura by courtesy of Draco, that she had fallen down the stairs on her way to petrify someone else, Slytherin's mysterious monster had bitten her, and the most ridiculous of all was that she had been going down into the Chamber of Secrets in broad daylight and one of the teachers had seen her so she had slipped and cut her head.

Aura laughed good-naturedly at the rumors, knowing all of them were ridiculous. On the first day of winter hols, she was back in the Slytherin common room with Draco.

* * *

Soon it was Christmas. The Great Hall was decorated lavishly. There were more than a dozen Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, enchanted snow was also falling, warm and dry from the ceiling.

Draco was bragging about his new sweater to Aura and the other Slytherins who were still there such as,

Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, and Bethany Hanson.

Aura noticed Hermione, Ron, and Harry, left the Great Hall at the same time that, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle did.

She got up and ran into them down in the dungeons.

"Crabbe. Goyle." She said, but they blocked her path.

"Can you two idiots move, so I can get into our common room?"

"Looks like the gash on her head made her a bit rude. Wouldn't you think so mudblood?" Crabbe(Ron) asked.

"Call her that again and I'll hex you into next week." Theodore Nott's voice came from behind them.

"The Prince family is richer than either of your families. It doesn't matter if her grandfather was a muggle, he's dead and gone so shut up." Theodore snapped at them.

Crabbe and Goyle glared at her, as did Pansy, which was a bit odd of her.

"Pansy, come on," Aura said, taking her arm. "I need you to help me with something." She grabbed her arm and led her up to the Slytherin girl dormitories.

"I need you to help me pick out a color that looks good on me. I can't decide which one to wear." Aura said.

"Um, okay." Pansy (Hermione) said.

Once they were in the dorms, Aura closed the door, and pulled Pansy over to her trunk.

"I just found out about this when I had detention with Lockhart, so please don't judge me for it. I know you hate that people are being attacked, even if I don't care so much." Aura said, taking out a book called, _Salazaar Slytherin's Bloodline._

"I got this in the library. You know how my grandmother was Eileen Prince on my father's side?" she asked, as Pansy nodded. "Look." She said indicating the page. Pansy read in silence.

_Slytherin had two children one male and one female. The female took the name of Gaunt, while the male took the name of Prince. The female married another pureblood for love, and over the centuries their families lost everything they had. _

_The male spent his money wisely, and married a pureblood witch from another wealthy family. The Prince family adopted a dragon as its symbol, and became the richest and most powerful family in the entire Wizarding world. _

_Unfortunately, the last pureblood member of the family, Eileen Prince, married a muggle and had a half-blood son. The son is rumored to have joined the Dark Lord's forces and he was believed to be dead, six years after the Dark Lord's downfall. _

_The half-blood son was killed because of his mother's choice in a father. He married an American half-blood witch, whose parents were Muggleborns, and fathered five children. There were two boys and three girls born. It is rumored that one of his daughters survived the attack. If this is true then she is the true, sole heir of Salazaar Slytherin._

Pansy (Hermione) looked at her in disbelief.

"So it is you, doing this."

"No! Pansy how could you believe that?"

"It says it right here in this book, you're the heir of Slytherin."

"I'm his heiress, but I'm not behind the attacks. You were with me minutes before one of the attacks, and the other times I was with Draco."

"Who is it then?"

"I don't know. I'll probably be attacked after they're done with all the muggleborns."

"Why?"

"Didn't you read anything? I'm the half-blood daughter. My father and I are targets for whoever's attacking the muggleborns. If they want the true heirs out of the way, then we're done for."

"How did you survive the attack?"

"I was six, when our summer home was attacked. My father made me get under the bed and cast silencing charms around me so I wouldn't be hurt. I could hear my siblings screaming from their rooms. My mother was dragged into the room by a Death Eater, and a dagger was stuck in her heart. My father was trying to save her, but they knocked him out. Everyone was found dead, and when the Aurors came, I ran over to my father. I was assured that he was still alive, and they sent me to the Weasley's house. I stayed there for about a week, and I remember the twins trying to cheer me up all the time. Same with Bill and Charlie and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Ron was distant and a bit rude to me, and Ginny was somewhat okay. After the attack we never returned there." Aura said, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Pansy said, trying to be sympathetic.

"Do you know what the mirror of Erised is?"

"Yes. Have you seen it?"

"Yes."

"What did you see in it, Aura?"

"I saw myself surrounded by my family, and something else."

"Tell me please."

"Promise you won't get jealous."

"Promise."

"I was surrounded by my family. The Malfoy's were next to my parents and Draco was holding out a rose to me. My eldest sister, Eileen, was standing next to me, holding my 3-year-old sister Violet, in her arms. My two older brothers, were smiling and laughing. The elder Damien, was leaning back against the wall and the younger Asher was grinning and poking Damien and Eileen." She said, with a distant look in her eyes.

"Is your father a Parselmouth too?"

"Yes. I bet some of my siblings could speak it too. Come on, we've been up here for nearly half an hour, Pansy. I really don't want to have to see Crabbe and Goyle again, but whatever it takes to be with Draco, I'll do it."

"You really like him."

"Yeah. We practically grew up together. Before I used to see him as my brother, now I see him as more boyfriend material. Hogwarts changed both of us, some for the worse, and some for the better."

"Aura, I have to go. Sorry, but I'm meeting someone, bye!" Pansy called as she streaked down the stairs and into the common room, grabbing both Crabbe and Goyle, and pulling them along with her.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron, ran back to the flooded bathroom and dropped on the floor, exhausted from running so much.

"What did you two find out?" She asked Ron and Harry.

"Never let Ron and Theodore Nott within eight miles of each other." Harry said. "They'll talk about Quidditch for ages. What did you find out?"

"Aura isn't the person behind the attacks. She's the heiress of Slytherin, but she's not attacking anyone. Actually, she rather afraid to be attacked herself. She thinks whoever's doing this is the same person who murdered part of her family. She thinks her and her father are in danger."

"Who murdered her family and why?" Ron asked, while Harry listened, intrigued.

"She said it was a plot against them because her father married an American witch with muggleborn parents. The Death Eaters broke into their summer home, and her father put her under a bed with a very long bedcover. He also cast multiple silencing charms. She said she saw a dagger being plunged into her mother's chest, and her father tried to protect her, but was knocked out. She also said that his arm and forehead were bleeding heavily. She could hear her siblings screaming; when the Aurors came the Death Eaters dragged them off to finish what they started. That's why she's scared now. Oh, and she said her father is a Parselmouth too." Hermione finished as Ron and Harry stared at her, mouths wide open.

"So you mean to say, that she's completely innocent?" Ron asked.

"Of course Ron, I think you remember a little girl who came to stay at your house for a week when you were about six or seven years old?"

"Yeah, she was a mess. She cried most of the time, and the rest of the time, she was being coddled by our family. Me and Ginny hated her, she used to stare into the sky sometimes, not doing anything for hours, the girl loved to stare at the clouds, as if she could fly into them or something."

"That's Aura, and really Ron, her family was murdered in front of her, and her father was badly injured, what did you expect?" Harry said, interrupting Hermione's tirade.

"Well we know one thing, Aura's the heiress, but she's not behind the attacks. Look, Hermione, a book." Harry said, indicating a small black diary that was lying in a puddle of water.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 29

The trio tried everything they could think of to try and see if the diary was hiding anything, but no results came up. Soon it was Valentine's Day, and as soon as Aura walked into the Great Hall, she stared, and thought for a moment she had walked into another room.

The walls were covered with large, lurid pink flowers. There was also heart-shaped confetti falling from the pale blue ceiling. Aura walked over to the Slytherin table, ignoring everyone else.

"What's going on?" Aura asked a very disgusted Draco.

"Look at that idiot sitting at the teacher's table. He's the one behind all this." Draco said, brushing the confetti off of him.

Aura rolled her eyes as she saw Lockhart wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations. He was waving his hands for silence, and she could see a muscle going in McGonagall's cheek. Her father looked absolutely disgusted at this, and kept on having to brush the confetti off of himself.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all-----and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors of the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids! beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his tiny hands, while Aura's father looked positively murderous. She felt sorry for any idiot who asked him for a Love Potion.

All day the dwarfs kept barging into classrooms, delivering valentines. Aura could swear that her father was thinking of either strangling or murdering the next dwarf that came into his classroom.

When they were heading upstairs for Charms, Aura saw Harry trying to escape the dwarf. His bag ripped, and red ink splashed over everything, except a small black book. 'Black book-the diary! Tom Riddle's diary!' Aura thought, frantically.

"What's going on here?" Draco asked in a cold voice, that made him sound so much like his father. Aura could see Harry stuffing everything into his bag, desperate to get away.

"What's all this commotion?" the voice of Percy Weasley asked.

Harry tried to make a run for it, but was seized by his knees by the dwarf and sent crashing to the floor.

"Right," the dwarf said, sitting on Harry's ankles. "Here is your singing valentine:

_His eyes are so green as a fresh pickled toad_

_His hair is as dark as a blackboard,_

_I wish he was mine, he's really divine,_

_The hero who conquered the Dark Lord._

Aura couldn't help laughing, and she and Draco cracked up in fits of laughter. She saw Draco pick something up and realized it was Tom's diary.

"Give that back." Harry said quietly.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" Draco said. Aura realized he hadn't looked at the year on the diary, and he thought it was Harry's own.

"Hand it over, Malfoy," Percy said, sternly.

"It's not yours or Potter's that's mine." Aura said, stepping in front of Draco.

"It was in Harry's bag--"

"Because your rotten sister stole it from me! She left it lying around somewhere, and Potter found it!" Aura yelled back.

"I don't believe you."

"What you believe and what's the truth are two very different things, Weasley." Aura said, taking the diary from Draco's hand and stuffing it in her bag.

She walked into the Charms classroom, and sat down at on of the desks in the back.

"I don't think Potter liked your valentine very much." Draco sneered at Ginny Weasley.

"He was rather embarrassed by it, I'd say that he's debating whether to tell you he hated it or tell you he loved it and face the music." Aura said back at the Weasley girl, as she entered the classroom.

"Give me the diary back! It's not yours or Harry's!"

"Do you really think I care? I'm going to find out what you're up to, even if it takes me the rest of the month. Understand blood traitor?" Aura sneered at her, as she reddened.

Professor Flitwick entered the classroom at that moment, and Ginny hurried out. The rest of the class was coming in now, as well.

The rest of the class went well, with only a few more dwarfs bursting in to deliver some roses, cards, chocolates, and other such trinkets.

When class was over Aura had over a dozen roses on her desk, all different colors, five new bracelets, seven necklaces, four earrings, ten rings, over two dozen cards and sweets, and a few new quills, bewitched to write in pink ink. She packed all these things into her bag, and made a mental note to look at them later.

She looked at all the things she had received, and found out that many of them were from her fellow Quidditch players. Theodore Nott had sent her a complete jewelry set, plus two pink roses, and a card asking her to be his girlfriend.

Nearly all the boys in her year had sent her something, along with a few shy first years as well. The only one who hadn't sent anything was Draco. At this she was disappointed. Harry had sent her a box of chocolates, a card, and a rose along with a muggle ring that was supposed to change color according to your mood.

Soon it was time for dinner, and Aura went down to the Great Hall. When she had finished eating, Draco turned to her and asked

"Aura? Do you mind if we take a small walk before curfew?" Draco said, standing up.

"Sure. Let's go." She said, standing with him as well.

They walked in silence towards the lake, and Draco put a hand on her shoulder when they had gotten there.

"I didn't want to give you this along with everyone else. I wanted it to be special. Close your eyes." He said softly, putting a choker around her neck. He slipped a bracelet on her left arm, and then put a ring on her finger.

"You can open your eyes now." He said, holding out an enchanted rose to her.

"Draco they're beautiful!" Aura said, admiring the items he had given her.

"Here," he said, holding out a black rose to her. "It's enchanted to live forever. It has your name burned into some of the petals. Even if they fall out they'll grow again, and your name will still be burned onto the same one."

"That's so thoughtful of you." Aura said sincerely, hugging Draco. "Thank you." She said as she kissed his cheek. He blushed deeply, and Aura giggled.

"That shade of red does look nice on you…" She trailed off, as Draco turned even redder.

"Come on, let's sit under your favorite tree." Draco said, trying to draw the spotlight off of him. Aura let him lead her there with his arm around her waist.

They sat down, and Aura remembered what she had made for Draco.

"I wanted to give you this in private too." She said, holding out the very pair of dragon-hide Quidditch gloves that he had been looking at in the Quidditch store. "I thought you'd like those better than pink roses." She teased, as he flushed yet again.

"Yeah, they're great!" Draco said.

"There's more. I also bought you a regular pair of dragon-hide gloves so you can be what they call a, proper pureblood. They have your nickname on the side." She said, as he put on the gloves.

"They're awesome! Thanks Aura." Draco said, looking at the word Dragon emblazoned in the tough gloves.

They snuggled into each other and Aura dozed off, while Draco ran his fingers through her hair, wondering if this was what it was like to have a girlfriend.

Aura woke up around midnight, and saw that Draco too, had dozed off.

"Draco! Draco!" She whisper-yelled, shaking him awake. His normally impeccable blonde hair was mussed, and looking very much like a certain Potter's at the moment.

"Draco, how long did we doze off?" She asked, frantically.

"I don't know," he said, pushing his sleeve back to look at his watch. "It's past midnight!"

"We have to get back before anyone notices we were gone." Aura said, pulling him to his feet, and taking her rose and bag.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 30

They walked quickly back to the castle, and were nearly at their common room, when they ran into Headmaster Dumbledore.

"What are you children doing outside at this hour?" He asked, taking in both of their appearances. "Come, we'll discuss this in my office." He said, in a tone that left no room for argument. Aura and Draco glanced at each other, and followed in silence.

"Fizzing Whizbees!" He said to a gargoyle, and beckoned for them to follow. "Come, come."

They watched as the stairs started to rise, and jumped on behind the headmaster. The stairs stopped at a very old wooden door, which Dumbledore pushed open to reveal his office.

It would have been an interesting place to visit had she not been in trouble for anything.

"Now tell me about what you two were doing tonight, out of your dormitories." The headmaster said, eyes twinkling.

Aura looked at the headmaster, and she felt as if he was seeing through her with those damned blue eyes.

"Draco asked me to take a walk with him after dinner, and we were just talking out by the lake. We went to sit under one of the trees, and I guess we just dozed off." Aura said, nervously.

"You do know it is against school rules to be outside after curfew right?"

"No sir, we didn't. My father never told me." Aura said.

"Neither did mine. We were honestly just talking." Draco said, looking as frantic as Aura did.

"I will have to take ten points from Slytherin for being outside after curfew, but if you can manage to keep track of time the next day you decide to do this, I shall ignore the part about being outside after dinner."

"Thank you sir."

"Yes, thank you." Draco said sincerely.

"Go on back to bed. Long day tomorrow." He said cheerfully.

Aura and Draco rushed back to the common room, only saying a rushed goodnight, and hurrying up to their dorms. Aura placed the flower on her bedside table on top of all the others. This was a day she'd never forget.

*******************************************

It had been nearly four months since Justin Finch-Fletchly and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified. Nearly everyone started to think the attacker was gone for good, and people were starting to be friendly to Harry once again.

It was soon the Easter holidays and the second years were given something new to think about. They had to add two more classes to their schedule. There were five classes to choose from, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies.

Draco had written home to his father and Aura had talked to hers to see which classes to add. They had to add at least two this year. Aura and Draco pondered over this, finally choosing Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy.

* * *

Aura went up to her dormitory one day to find her things all over the floor, and Pansy in a _Petrificus Totalus_ curse.

"_Finite Incantatum!" _Aura yelled, canceling the curse.

"Aura, I'm so sorry! The filthy little blood traitor girl came in and she cursed me as soon as she saw me. I couldn't do anything-" Pansy said, looking somewhat scared.

"It's all right. I should've known the Weasley girl would do this. Can you help me pick this stuff up?" Aura asked, indicating the mess. Pansy nodded, and started to help her pick up the roses strewn across the room when she picked up the black one with Aura's name on it.

"Who gave you this?"

"Draco. We went for a walk around the lake on Valentine's Day." Aura said, nervously.

"I'm going to go down to the Quidditch pitch. I guess I'll see you there." Pansy said, her voice venomous.

Aura simply nodded, knowing it would be unwise to say anything else. She finished picking up the mess and headed out to the Quidditch Pitch. When she got there she saw McGonagall with a purple megaphone telling them the match was canceled.

"All students are to make their way back to their House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please." She said.

Aura walked back to the common room quietly, and sat down in one of the high-backed chairs by the fireplace. Her father came in shortly after, robes billowing behind him, his face absent of its usual malice.

"New rules are being put into effect immediately because of recent events. Everyone is to return to their common rooms at six every evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to lessons by a teacher. All Quidditch matches and training sessions are postponed until further notice. No activities are to be held in the evening, and there are absolutely no exceptions. Unless the culprit behind the attacks is caught, the school will close. If you anything regarding these events contact me or any other teacher immediately." He recited from memory.

Aura felt horrible if the Weasley girl had stolen the diary, then she had no way of getting it back. They would hardly see each other, except for maybe the occasional passing by in the hallway when there were many teachers and students around.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 31

It was a few nights later that Aura, unable to sleep, got up silently and walked out of the dormitory. There were no teachers down here in the dungeons, so she ran for it. She stopped and hid behind a tapestry when she saw her father and caught a glimpse of a worn trainer. She knew it was Harry's invisibility cloak, and she stopped them at the doors.

"Can I come with you Harry?" she whispered. Harry and Ron had frozen in their tracks, because seconds later, a hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled her under the cloak.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Harry said, as Ron gave a small grunt of disapproval.

They walked out towards Hagrid's hut in silence. When they were there they took off the cloak and knocked. Hagrid opened the door seconds later with a crossbow aimed at them.

"Come in, I'll make yeh some tea." Hagrid said, ushering them in.

As he was putting some fruitcake on a platter someone knocked on the door again. They quickly jumped up and Aura seized the invisibility cloak and threw it over them. The door opened to reveal Dumbledore and another person who Aura had never seen before.

"That's Dad's boss!" Ron breathed. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"

Harry and Aura nudged him in the ribs, hard, to make him shut up.

"Bad business, Hagrid," Fudge said in clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."

"I never," Hagrid said looking imploringly at Dumbledore. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir—"

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence." Dumbledore said, frowning at Fudge.

"Look, Albus," Fudge said uncomfortably. "Hagrid's record is against him. Ministry's got to do something---the school governors have been in touch---"

"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest." Dumbledore said, nearly glaring at Fudge.

"Look at it from my point of view," Fudge said, fidgeting with his bowler hat. "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty---"

"Take me?" Hagrid said, trembling. "Take me where?

"Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology---"

"Not Azkaban?" Hagrid croaked.

Before Fudge could reply there was a loud rap on the door. Dumbledore opened the door, as Harry and Aura gasped and Ron elbowed them in the ribs.

Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black traveling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. Fang started to growl.

"Already here, Fudge," he said approvingly. "Good, good…."

"What're you doin' here?" Hagrid said furiously. "Get outta my house!"

"My dear man, please believe me I have no pleasure at all in being inside your---er---d'you call this a house?" Mr. Malfoy said sneering as he looked around the small cabin. "I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."

"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked, the trace of anger still in his eyes.

"_Dreadful_ thing, Dumbledore," Mr. Malfoy said lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension---you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggleborns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an _awful_ loss that would be to the school."

"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," Fudge said, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended---no, no---last thing we want just now---"

"The appointment---or suspension---of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," Mr. Malfoy said smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks---"

"See here, Malfoy, if _Dumbledore_ can't stop them," Fudge said nervously, "I mean to say who can?"

"That remains to be seen," Mr. Malfoy said back with a nasty smile. "But all twelve of us have voted---"

"An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" Hagrid roared.

"Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid. I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all." Mr. Malfoy said.

"Yeh can' take Dumbledore! Take him away and the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!"

"Calm yourself, Hagrid." Dumbledore said sharply, as he looked at Lucius Malfoy.

"If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside---"

"But---" Fudge stuttered.

"_No!"_ Hagrid growled.

Dumbledore had still not taken his bright blue eyes off of Lucius' cold gray ones.

"However," he said, speaking very slowly and clearly, "you will find that I will only _really _have left the school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

"Admirable sentiments. We shall all miss your----er---highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any---ah---_killings."_

He strode to the cabin door and Dumbledore exited behind him, with Fudge following, but stopping to wait for Hagrid.

"If anyone wanted ter find out some _stuff_, all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the _spiders._ That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm saying'. Oh, an' someone'll need ter feed Fang while I'm away."

The door banged shut behind them, and the three stared at each other in amazement.

"I can't believe it! Dumbledore had been suspended!" Aura said in disbelief. "I know the Malfoy's never liked him, but he helped get my father out of Azkaban. It can't be true." She whispered, putting her head in her hands.

"It'll be alright." Harry said, putting his hand on hers. Ron however, obviously had different things in mind.

"Your father was in Azkaban? Snape in Azkaban?" He said in great disbelief.

"I'll tell you the story if you'd like." She said, shrugging her shoulders and sitting down in one of the huge chairs.

"Sure, let's hear it." Ron said uncertainly, sitting down as well.

"You know how the Dark Lord went to kill Harry that night in Godric's Hollow, but you don't know how he planned it. I was at home with my mother and siblings when it happened. The Dark Lord ordered my father to plan the Death Eater raid. His exact orders were, 'cause chaos and confusion, but stay away from the Potter's home, they are mine to take.' He appointed my father as the head of the raid, and he planned everything out, while keeping the others away from Harry's home. My father broke away from the others when he got there, and was going to go to Harry's home to warn his parents when he was captured by Aurors. He was later sent to Azkaban and Dumbledore spoke at his trial, saying that he was completely innocent because he was a spy for the Order."

"What the bloody hell is the 'Order'?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. My father said he wouldn't tell me unless it was absolutely necessary."

"Come on, let's go. It doesn't matter if Aura's father _was_ in Azkaban. We have to get back to the school now but we will follow the spiders later. Aura if you'd like to come with us, we'll meet in the Slytherin common room tomorrow." Harry said.

"The password is 'pure-blood', no doubt Draco's idea. He can be such a prat sometimes." Aura said, getting under the cloak as they walked back to the school.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 32

The next day Aura woke up extremely tired from her late night adventure she got dressed quickly and went down for breakfast. She had a small bit of breakfast in the Great Hall, and waited for one of the teachers to come get them for Potions.

Aura's father was already in his classroom and Aura took her seat next to Pansy when she arrived. Aura had finished her potion and bottled it when she heard Draco saying,

"I always though Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore. I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't _want _the Chamber of secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in…." Draco said as her father swept past the Gryffindor's tables.

"Sir," Draco said loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"

"Now, now, Malfoy," her father said with a thin-lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

"Yeah, right, I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir--- _I'll _tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir---" Draco said, and her father smirked as he swept across the room. Luckily he didn't spot Seamus Finnegan pretending to vomit into his cauldron.

"Look at that idiot, Pansy," Aura whispered as they both giggled. "I wish my father had seen that."

Class was soon dismissed and her father had to wait behind.

"Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology." He said, impatiently walking to the door.

They all followed him and he stopped close to the greenhouses. Today was Herbology with Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Ernie Macmillan was standing by Harry, and Aura made her way towards them, wanting to put a little space between her and Draco, who was gloating about his father being the one to sack Dumbledore.

"That Draco Malfoy character," Ernie said, working on his Shrivelfig plant, "He seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."

"That's stupid. Draco isn't Slytherin's heir. The Malfoy's bloodline doesn't have any Slytherin blood. They have been in Slytherin for centuries but that's it." Aura said as a Ravenclaw came to stand by her.

"I'm Cho Chang." She said, holding out her hand.

"Aura Snape. It's nice to meet you." Aura said, shaking her hand.

"You're Professor Snape's daughter?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes." Aura said, starting to work on one of the plants.

"Oh. Can he speak Parseltongue as well?"

"My father never shared it with me if he can speak it. It's commonly associated with the Dark Arts so it's not something you want posted in a magazine."

"Oh, yeah. I guess you are right." Cho said as she fell silent.

Herbology went by in a breeze, and soon Aura was the only one in the Slytherin common room. It was a bit past midnight, and Aura had dozed off on one of the couches when the portrait hole opened.

Startled, she sat up quickly and saw Harry's hand reaching out to her. She took it and got up as she ducked under the cloak. They made their way to Hagrid's hut and once there, Fang went mad with joy at the sight of them.

Afraid that he might wake everyone in the castle with his barks, they fed him treacle fudge, which glued his teeth together. Harry left his invisibility cloak on top of the table. There would be no need for it in the pitch-black forest.

"C'mon Fang." Harry said, patting his leg as Fang followed them in.

'_Lumos!'_ Aura said, lighting her wand.

"Come on!" Aura said, leading them in. Harry lighted his wand and they walked at the same pace, unwilling to let the other in front of them.

They followed the spiders into a deep pit, and saw a huge spider in the midst of other spiders the size of carthorses.

"What are men doing in our lair?" It asked.

"I'm a woman, and we're friends of Hagrid's." Aura said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hagrid's in trouble." Harry said, while Ron and Aura were petrified, staring at the thousands of spiders in that pit.

"In trouble? He has never sent men to me before. My name is Aragog." The spider asked.

"They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a---a---something on students. They've taken him to Azkaban."

"That was years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that _I_ was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the chamber and set me free." Aragog said.

"You didn't come from the chamber?" Aura asked, finally finding the courage to speak.

"I! I never saw any part of the castle except the box in a cupboard I was kept in. When the girl was discovered dead and I was blamed, he protected me!"

"So you never attacked anyone?" Harry asked.

"Never." Aragog responded. "The thing that killed that girl still lives in the castle. It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others."

"What is it, though? Please, Aragog. We need to know. We'll soon be it's next targets." Aura said, looking at the spider.

"We do not speak of it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that creature, though he pleaded with me many times."

"We'll just go then. Thank you for your time." Harry said, backing away from the spiders inching closer to them.

"I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command, but I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into out midst. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid." Aragog said, retreating back into his domed web.

Harry and Aura pulled out their wands, stopping Ron from pulling out his, less it backfire on him again. A loud, long note sounded and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow. Mr. Weasley's car was thundering down the small slope they had come through.

"Get Fang!" Harry yelled, as Ron seized the dog around the middle and threw him in the car.

The doors flew open, and Aura, Ron, and Harry climbed into the front.

"Move Ron! I can drive this thing!" Aura said, pushing Ron away.

"It's my family's car!"

"Ron let her drive!" Harry yelled pulling him into the seat next to him that resembled a park bench.

Aura drove through the forest as fast as she could, crashing up the slope, whipping through the trees and throwing spells at the spiders. The car ejected them once they were at Hagrid's hut and drove off into the forest again.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked her.

"Fine. I don't think _he_ is though." She said, pointing at Ron who was being violently sick over the pumpkin patch.

"Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!" Ron explained wiping his mouth on a handkerchief.

"Well, now we know that Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets, and I think I know what's in it. I'll have to do some more research, though." Aura said, going inside Hagrid's hut and retrieving the invisibility cloak.

"Come on, let's get back to the school." Aura said, as she threw the cloak over them.


	32. Chapter 32

When Aura learned that exams were still on, she immersed herself in her books trying to memorize everything she could.

At lunch time, McGonagall also announced that the Mandrakes were ready to revive the people that had been Petrified. There was an explosion of cheering but Aura and her House didn't join in.

She saw the Weasley girl sitting tense, pale, and nervous, at the Gryffindor table. She briefly felt sorry for her, before she remembered the hell she had been put through this year because of her. When Ginny looked at her, she gave her a glare worthy of her father, and the girl turned away quickly, getting up from the table.

Aura walked back to the Slytherins dorms by herself, wanting to get a little peace and quiet when she ran into Ginny Weasley. Ginny grabbed her wrist and started pulling her towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Aura said trying to free herself but Ginny was holding her in a death grip.

"_Open."_ She hissed in Parseltongue, and Aura's mouth dropped in shock. She was thrown down the pipe, and led through the chamber by Ginny.

When they had gotten past two more doors, she noticed Ginny's eyes widened and she fainted on the floor, leaving Tom's diary next to her. Aura put her hand on it as it started to glow and felt the strength draining out of her.

She slipped into unconsciousness as she was weakened and Tom Riddle became more than just a memory.

Professor McGonagall had called all the teachers into the staffroom, Severus being the last one to enter.

"Two students have been taken into the chamber." McGonagall said. "There was a message written in blood that said, _'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'"_

"Who is it?" Madam Hooch asked. "Which students?"

"Ginny Weasley and Aurelia Snape." She said and saw Severus drop to the floor, unable to stand any longer.

"I'm sorry, Severus." McGonagall said, putting a hand on his shoulder as he shook his head.

"It wasn't enough that my entire family was murdered in front of me, but now my daughter is taken too? There had to be something that can be done Minerva."

"I'm afraid that Gilderoy will be the one to go into the chamber. I'm sorry." She said.

"So sorry—dozed off—what have I missed?" Lockhart said, entering just then.

"Gilderoy, we require your services. Ginny Weasley and Aurelia Snape have been taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. You were saying you knew where the entrance was and what was in it, so it should be no problem for you. After all, you are a very qualified Defense teacher." McGonagall said, while Severus kept on glaring at him.

"Very well, then, I'll just go, prepare." Lockhart said nervously, running off to his office.

Harry and Ron exited the wardrobe they were hiding in when the staff room had cleared.

"She's the heir of Slytherin! She took Ginny with her!" Ron said, outraged that his sister had been taken in there.

"Come on, let's go tell Lockhart what we know. He might be able to save them." Harry said, looking glum.

"You liked her, didn't you?" Ron asked Harry.

"Yeah, since I met her on the train." Harry replied, not looking where he was going and bumping into Malfoy.

"Watch where you're going Potter!" He said, picking himself up off the floor.

"I didn't run into you on purpose Malfoy!" Harry said back.

"Someone's been taken into the Chamber, I wonder who it is? Did you hear?" Draco said, excited.

"We know who it is." Ron said, boastfully.

"Who?" Draco replied.

"It's Ginny Weasley. Aura was also taken with her." Harry said, and watched as Malfoy's already pale face blanched even further.

"Aura? Oh Merlin no!" He moaned, putting his face in his hands. "She's a half-blood why was she taken?"

"She told us that she suspected she would be a target because her father married a half-blood American witch, whose parents were muggleborns." Harry said, watching as he started pacing.

"Does my godfather know?" Draco asked, looking pointedly at them.

"We don't even know your godfather!" Ron said, outraged that he cared more about Aura than Ginny.

"Professor Snape is my godfather. Does he know?" Draco asked again.

"Yeah, we witnessed McGonagall telling him. He didn't take it too well, actually sunk to his knees." Ron said, as Draco rolled his eyes.

"We're going after her, Malfoy. Every second counts." Harry said, walking away.

Draco stood there, dumbfounded, and decided to go tell his godfather that they were going into the Chamber, maybe they wouldn't get killed, or they'd bring back Aura. He'd do anything for her.

Harry and Ron ran into Lockhart's office and caught him in the middle of packing.

"You're running away!" Harry said in disbelief. "You're just going to let Aura and Ginny die!"

"Well my boy, you must understand I—"

"No. You're coming with us. _'Expelliarmus!'_" Harry yelled, taking Lockhart's wand and throwing it out the window.

"You first." Harry said, pushing him out the door.

This continued until they got to the bathroom, and Harry wondered where to find the entrance.

"Say something in Parseltongue, Harry." Ron said, still holding his wand against Lockhart's back.

"_Open."_ Harry hissed, as the sinks broke apart and a large pipe was revealed.

"Him first. Go on." Harry said, pushing Lockhart towards the pipe. Lockhart jumped in and after much silence Harry and Ron followed.

"We're miles under the school." Ron said, walking cautiously towards a large snake skin.

Lockhart, seeing an opportunity, jumped forward and grabbed Ron's wand.

'_Obliviate!'_ He yelled, but the beam of light shot out of the wrong end of the wand, and knocked him backwards, causing an explosion.

"Ron! Are you okay?" Harry asked.

"Fine! This git's lost his memory though!"

"I'll go on ahead, you try and shift this rock so we can get back through." Harry said, walking through several lushly decorated walls.

Shaking, Harry walked inside.


	33. Chapter 33

Harry was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering pillars with more serpents decorated it. There was a statue of Salazaar Slytherin, and there was where Harry saw a small black-robed figure with black hair. Next to her was another small figure in black robes, bound by ropes and gagged, with fiery-red hair.

"Aura! Aura, please don't be dead." He said, running over to her. "Please wake up."

"She won't wake." A dark-haired boy leaning against a pillar said.

"Tom--_Tom Riddle?" _Harry asked in disbelief. "Are you a ghost?"

"A memory preserved in a diary for fifty years."

"You've got to help me, Tom. We've got to save her!"

"Don't worry the basilisk won't come until it's called."

"You're the heir of Slytherin aren't you?"

"Yes. Ginny and Aurelia both confided in me. Aurelia writing about things such as Parselmouths happening, Ginny writing about her crushes and such. It was very boring. It took a long time for the little girl to stop trusting me. That was where you picked it up. Aurelia only bumped into her in the library."

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you."

"He did, but not the headmaster."

"Why are you so interested in killing people?" Harry yelled, as Tom wrote his name in midair.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

He waved his wand, and the letters rearranged themselves.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"The noble blood of Salazaar Slytherin runs through my veins. I wasn't going to keep my filthy muggle father's name. I fashioned myself a new name. One all wizards would someday come to fear." He said as Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, flew to Harry.

"Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort against famous Harry Potter…." He said.

"_Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four."_

Harry hit the floor, bewildered by the snake.

"_Kill him." _Voldemort hissed.

Fawkes attacked the snake, puncuring its great yellow eyes.

"_Leave the bird! Leave the bird! The boy is behind you! You can still smell him! Kill him!"_ He screamed frantically.

Harry frantically tried to escape, and finally climbed the statue of Slytherin, grabbing the sword he had pulled out of the Sorting Hat. He sunk the sword into the basilisk's head and felt something pierce his arm.

Harry staggered and fell to the floor, white hot pain searing through his arm. His vision was getting blurry, and then he saw Fawkes next to him, crying over his wound.

Harry saw his own wand being pointed at him and Fawkes sailed overhead, dropping Riddle's diary into his lap. Without thinking, Harry stabbed the Basilisk fang into the diary and it started to bleed red ink. It splurted out until Tom Riddle had dissolved away completely.

Harry used the sword to cut Ginny free, and then kneeled beside Aura.

"Harry, I---I---I didn't mean to. R-Riddle made me. He possessed me. I opened the chamber. I brought her down here. It was my fault." Ginny said, sobbing.

Harry heard faint coughs and he and Ginny rushed towards Aura.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked her.

"I am now. Thanks Harry." She said sincerely.

"You were being possessed weren't you?" She asked Ginny.

"Yes, I'm so sorry!" Ginny said, nearly crying again.

"You couldn't do anything." Aura said in her warmest voice. "Tom fooled us both. To find out he was the Dark Lord later, it was a nightmare." Aura said, hugging Ginny.

"Come on. Let's go back. Ron's waiting for us with Lockhart." Harry said, grabbing their hands.

Fawkes flew back with them, and waggled his tail feathers at them.

"He wants us to grab hold of him!" Aura said.

"I'm glad you and Ginny are okay." Ron said, awkwardly. Aura rolled her eyes at him, and held on to one of Fawkes' feathers.

"Come on, are we going or not?" She asked.

Harry grabbed hold of her hand, Ron grabbed hold of his, Ginny grabbed hold of Ron's, and Lockhart grabbed onto Ginny's. They rose up the tunnel and into Myrtle's bathroom. Silently they made their way out and went towards McGonagall's office.

They were covered in muck and slime, and (in Harry and Aura's cases) blood. Then there was a scream.

"_Ginny!"_ Mrs. Weasley screamed coming to embrace her. Ron and Harry were soon swept into an embrace as well.

"Thank you! You saved her how did you it?!" She shrieked as the door opened to reveal Professor Snape.

"Dad!" Aura said running towards him as he swept her up in an embrace.

"Aura what-how?" He started, but then looked at Harry and Ron.

"You two saved her." He said, his voice empty of its usual malice. "Thank you." He said sincerely.

She let Harry, Ron, and Ginny tell their story, while she filled in the parts Ginny wasn't too sure on.

Harry soon presented the sword to Dumbledore, and he explained it had been Godric Gryffindor's.

"Severus," Dumbledore addressed him. "Is there something you wish to tell me? You have been unusually quiet during this explanation."

"I think I know why the Dark Lord attacked Aura and not someone else. He attacked her as revenge on me for marrying a half-blood. He attacked Miss Weasley because she was the unlucky girl who found the diary. It is fortunate that neither of them wrote too much in the diary."

"Severus, there is something you are leaving out." Dumbledore admonished.

"Salazaar Slytherin is related however distantly, to Aura and I. We are the two true heirs of Slytherin. While the Dark Lord may have been related to him distantly as well everything Salazaar had was given to the Prince family. My mother was the last member to bear the Prince name. That is why both Aura and I can speak Parseltongue. Should the Dark Lord ever find out about this he would kill us both just to be the last remaining heir." Severus said. The room fell silent and everyone was staring at them. Harry knew this already so it was old news to him, everyone else was gaping, unable to believe it.

"Very well, very well. We shall talk about this later. I would like a few words alone with you Harry, Aura." He said motioning for them to stay behind. They simply nodded and stood there.

"Harry, I'm sure you're wondering why you are so like Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore said, gently.

"Yeah, I mean, we're both half-bloods, we're both Parselmouths, we both grew up without parents, and we were both raised by muggles." Harry said miserably.

"You can speak Parseltongue because Lord Voldemort put a bit of himself in you the night he gave you that scar. He didn't intend to do it though."

"Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?"

"Yes, Harry. He is very distantly related to Aura and will try to claim her as his own if he returns to power. They are both heirs of Slytherin. Professor Snape is also related to him, and so it is that they shall be the ones who have to either hide away or face him."

"I'll face him. I'm not going to hide away in another country while everyone around me is in danger. It'll affect all of us." Aura said with a determined look on her face.

"That is exactly what your father said when I asked him to spy for me. You are more like him than you can possibly think." Dumbledore said, praise evident in his eyes.

Suddenly, the door to Dumbledore's office swung open and Mr. Malfoy walked in with a cowering Dobby behind him.

"So!" he said, "you've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."

"Well, you see, Lucius," Dumbledore said, smiling serenely, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. They'd heard that two girl were killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me too…Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."

Mr. Malfoy went paler than usual but his eyes were still full of fury. "Who where the two girls that were killed?"

"Thankfully Mr. Potter saved them. Actually, I believe one of them is very close to your son, Draco. Are you two not very close, Aura?"

"Yes sir." She said, not trusting herself to speak anything else. Mr. Malfoy glared at her and she lowered her head, knowing he disapproved of it.

"Have you caught the culprit?"

"Yes, Lucius, it was Lord Voldemort. This time, however he chose to act through someone else by means of this diary. Unfortunately, it fell into the hands of both Ginny Weasley and Aura Snape."

"Yes, how very unfortunate."

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got the diary Mr. Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said back.

"Because you gave it to her. In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"

"Prove it." Mr. Malfoy hissed.

"I advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you…"

"We're going, Dobby!"

He wrenched the door open and as the elf came hurrying up to him, kicked him through the door. They could hear Dobby squealing with pain down the corridor.

"Professor Dumbledore, Can I give that diary _back_ to Mr. Malfoy, please?" Harry asked.

"Certainly, Harry. But hurry, the feast, remember…"

Harry grabbed the diary and ran off towards Mr. Malfoy, Aura sprinted behind him, trying to catch up. Harry caught up with them at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Harry said. "I've got something for you." Harry forced the diary and dirty sock into his hand.

"What the---" He said as he ripped the sock from his hand and threw it aside.

"You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter. They were meddlesome fools too."

He turned to go.

"Come, Dobby. I said _come."_

"Master has given a sock. Master gave it to Dobby."

"What's that? What did you say?"

"Got a sock. Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby---Dobby is _free."_

"You've lost me my servant, boy!"

"You shall not harm Harry Potter!" Dobby shouted.

There was a loud bang and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs and fell into a crumpled heap below. Aura watched in horror, running down the stairs to see if he was alright.

"Mr. Malfoy are you alright?" Aura asked in concern.

"Fine. Potter will pay for this someday." He said, turning to leave. Aura took the stairs back up and saw Dobby and Harry talking like old friends.

"You shall not come near Harry Potter." Dobby said, staring her down.

"Dobby, Aura and I are friends." Harry said.

"Why did you do that? Why did you free him?" Aura asked, exasperated.

"He helped me a bit."

"Harry, Dobby was looking after Draco when we were at Prince Manor.

"Mistress Aura was always mean to Dobby. She was very close to Master Draco. They is knowing each other from two years old."

"So you are close to the Malfoy's?"

"Yes. I hate you and that stupid elf. Dobby is the most rotten one I've ever met!" Aura screamed, running down the stairs and into a bathroom.

She cried for awhile and then cast a quick _'Scourify'_ and a freshening charm on herself. She would shower as soon as she got back to her dormitory.

The second she walked into the Slytherin common room she was overwhelmed by the others. The whole House had heard the news are were eager to see her. So, after answering countless questions, she finally was able to take a shower and go to bed.

The rest of the term passed smoothly and soon, she was getting on the train along with the rest of the school. This summer would pass smoothly.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 35

This summer had not been nearly as exciting as the last. Draco and his parents were staying in one of their manors in Norway. Her father had tutored her on potions a bit and she had caught on quickly.

She had received her Hogwarts letter with all her supplies about a week ago. She had finished and revised all her summer homework at least twenty times, courtesy of her father who was a bloody perfectionist.

Aura really couldn't wait for the new term to start. She was taking Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures with Draco. He had given her a rose last year enchanted black with her name on it, and it would never die. Her name would forever be on the flower and the petals would fall and then grow out again.

She really liked Draco. Harry was nice, but not anything special to her. He was the boy-who-lived. She didn't like him as anything more than her best friend. He didn't agree with her on most things, but they got along pretty well.

Aura had resolved not to talk to Harry this year and spend more time with Draco, if possible. He had gotten a little shy over the summer, she could tell from his letters, and hopefully he would start to see her as more than a sister.

She had gotten word that the Malfoy's would be coming back soon, and they invited her to go to Diagon Alley with them. Aura had asked her father and he said it was fine, but he was coming too, this time.

* * *

Soon it was time to go to Diagon Alley and she and Draco flooed there, while their elders Apparated.

Aura hated the floo. It was horrible the way you got soot all over your clothes, she thought as she cast a cleaning charm over herself. Draco did the same and the adults entered the Leaky Cauldron as soon as they had put their wands away.

They soon entered Diagon Alley, which was flooded with Hogwarts students. There was a large crowd around Quality Quidditch Supplies, where the newest racing broom had just come out. They pushed their way to the front and saw the label and the broom in the window:

_**THE FIREBOLT**_

_This state-of-the-art racing broom sports a stream-lined, superfine handle of ash, treated with a diamond-hard polish and hand-numbered with its own registration number. Each individually selected Birch twig in the broomtail has been honed to aerodynamic perfection, giving the Firebolt unsurpassable balance and pinpoint precision. The Firebolt has an acceleration of 150 miles an hour in ten seconds and incorporates an Unbreakable Braking Charm. Price on request. _

Price on request…it must cost a ton. Aura longed for this broom, but knew she couldn't ask for it right away, perhaps as a present for Christmas or her birthday. It looked wonderful, but it would have to wait.

She went into Flourish and Blotts with Draco as their fathers excused themselves and went into Knockturn Alley. Aura had not liked the alley the two times she had been there and was glad to be shopping for supplies instead.

"Draco, come on. We have to get our books." Aura said, dragging Draco away from the broom display.

"Aura, come on, please. Can't you get the books and meet me here?" He said, whining.

"Draco Malfoy you're coming with me. In case you didn't know I'm not a servant to be carrying around your things. Now come on!" Aura said in a deadly whisper. She smirked evilly as she saw Draco's face whiten at her words and he nodded.

"Come to get your Hogwarts books?" The manager of Flourish and Blotts said as they entered.

"Yes. We need two copies of these." Aura said, handing him the list. It said:

_New Theory of Numerology_

_The Standard book of Spells Year Three_

_Intermediate Transfiguration_

_Monster Book of Monsters_

"Oh. Those books are a menace." The manager said, walking over to a large cage and putting on some heavy gloves and grabbing a knobbly walking stick.

Aura ignored him as he got the books and yelped in pain when they bit him. She instead, walked down an aisle of old yellowing books. As she was looking through a book on useful hexes and curses someone bumped into her.

"I'm sorry." He said, smiling handsomely at her.

Aura took a sharp intake of breath as a gorgeous bronze-haired boy handed her the book she had been skimming through.

"Thank you." Aura said shyly as he looked down at her.

"Bye." Aura said lamely turning down another aisle to hide her faint blush. Once there she found many useless book but, there was one on snakes that interested her very much. She took it and then made her way to where Draco was about to pay.

"There you are! What's that?" he asked, his brow furrowing as he pointed at the book she held.

"A book about snakes. It seems interesting." She said, shrugging and putting it on top of the others.

"That's going to be eighty galleons." He said, ringing up the books. Aura took out forty-six, and placed them on the counter. Draco counted them for her and then placed forty-four next to it.

"We have to get new robes next." Aura said as he groaned. She led him to Madame Malkin's and pulled him inside.

"We need new Hogwarts uniforms." Aura said, stepping up on one of the platforms as Draco did the same.

"Standard robes. What house dear? We need to know which color they need to be."

"Slytherin for both of us." Aura said, indicating her and Draco. She saw the assistant grimace and make her way to the back.

After about an hour of fitting they had a full set of new Hogwarts clothes. She had grown a bit and Draco had too, leaving her just tall enough to reach the tip of his ear.

"I'm going to the Magical Menagerie, Draco. I need some owl treats for Midnight." Aura said, pulling him with her. He had been enough of a gentleman to carry their bags the entire way and not complain about it.

"Fine. Fine. I'll see if I can get Noctua some treats too."

"Noctua is your owl's name?" Aura asked, surprised that he had named his owl something so close to meaning night when his owl was brown with small white specks.

"Yeah. It means something like night in Latin." He said, as they walked in silence once again.

Draco held the door open for her as she stepped in and the shopkeeper said,

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"We were looking for some owl treats. Can you hold them for us at the counter, we still need to look around?" Aura asked.

"Of course, of course. Tell me when you're ready." He said, going back to rearranging things on shelves.


	35. Chapter 35

Aura walked over to a tank holding a small snake that was striped red, black, and yellow.

"_Humanss...No one will buy me…Ridiculouss…"_

"_I will buy you." Aura said. _

"_You sspeak?"_

"_Yess…I am related to the other speakers…"_

"_There have been no speakers for very long…I should like to have a Mistresss. What iss your name?"_

"_Aura…It soundss sstrange in your language…"_

"_Yess…It doess…"_

"_Resst Asssured…I will buy you…what isss your name?"_

"_A young girl once thought to call me Arista, she had a very thick accent." _

"Sir?" She called to the shopkeeper. "How much for this snake?"

"That one? I'll sell it for five galleons. Do you need the tank?"

"Yeah. I need the tank, food, and other such stuff."

"Well with all that it's going to be twelve galleons."

"Here," she said, dropping the galleons into the shopkeeper's hand.

"This is a container of animated animals that the snake will eat. It is a coral snake and only needs to eat small rodents and lizards. The jar is full of animals that are already dead and are just animated and charmed to move around so that the snake can catch them. Feed it twice a day, once in the morning, once at night." He said, handing her the things in a shrunk bag.

As soon as they were out of the shop, Aura let the snake crawl up her sleeve and wrap around her wrist. She smiled at Draco's astonished look and walked towards where her father and Mr. Malfoy were sitting.

"Father. Mr. Malfoy." She said, acknowledging them.

"Did you two get everything you needed?" Her father asked as Draco sat down.

"Yes. I bought a new familiar since you said I could have another one along with my owl."

"What did you buy? I don't see it." Her father said, until his eyes narrowed at the slight bulge in her sleeve.

"It's a coral snake." Aura said, pulling back her sleeve. "It seemed like a good idea since I can understand it."

"The headmaster will need to know there is going to be a poisonous snake in Hogwarts." Her father said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, Severus Draco and I must be off. It was good seeing you two again. Aura stay out of trouble." He said half-joking as he got up and Draco went with him.

Draco gave her the bags that were hers and hugged her. She returned the hug and when they pulled apart she looked into his eyes. They weren't full of the coldness she saw when he was around others they were filled with warmth. Draco gave her a slight peck on the cheek and walked off to join his father.

Aura felt slightly awkward at his kiss though, like there was something missing in their friendship. And when she thought about the trip into Diagon Alley all she could think of was that bronze-haired boy that had bumped into her.

* * *

Aura and her father had flooed to the headmaster's office, and surprisingly there wasn't a bit of soot on her or her father.

"Severus. Aura. How nice to see you both again. You said you needed to ask me something, my boy?" Dumbledore asked with a questioning look. Unknown to either of them Aura had brought her familiar with her under her sleeve again.

"Yes, it seems Aura has acquired a new familiar and I need you to approve it."

"What kind of familiar?"

"It's a coral snake. She's really quite harmless. I've brought her." Aura said, taking the snake out of its hiding place under her sleeve.

"_Why do you wake me ssso early?" The snake complained. _

"_I need you to meet the headmaster. He iss the one who iss going to ssay if you can come with me. Don't bite anyone please."_

"_I won't. You need not worry about me…" She said, inclining her head towards the old man in the chair._

"Wonderful! Now you're sure she won't bite?"

"No sir. She won't bite. She's promised me already." Aura said.

"Then she may come with you. I would advise you not to take her to classes with you as that could be slightly disastrous."

"I won't. But can I take her to meals?"

"Yes of course, she needs to eat sometime. I will have the house-elves prepare fish deeply boiled for her every night."

"Thank you sir."  
"Yes thank you, Albus."

"It's no problem." The headmaster said, eyes twinkling madly.


	36. Chapter 36

September 1st came quickly and Aura was soon boarding the Hogwarts Express with Draco. She looked around for the boy from the bookshop but couldn't find him anywhere so she settled for sitting with Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Draco.

They were soon talking about how Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban.

"I think he must have bribed a Dementor." Draco said.

"That's ridiculous. It's impossible to bribe a Dementor." Pansy said.

"I agree." Aura said absentmindedly.

"So anything interesting happen this summer?" Pansy asked them.

"My family and I stayed in one of our manors in Norway." Draco responded, smugly.

"I got a new familiar." Aura said as Pansy's mouth dropped.

"Another one? You already have Midnight though." She said.

"Well my father said I could have another one. I had to get special permission though, they're not on the normal list of pets."

"What is it?" Pansy asked, intrigued.

"Three guesses what it is. I think it's pretty cool but it better not bite me." Draco said, looking at Aura's arm cautiously.

"Oh come on! Is it a bird? A dog? A mouse?"

"Nope. It's a snake. A coral snake." Aura said, retrieving her familiar from her sleeve.

"Oh Merlin! No way am I sleeping in the same dormitory as that thing!" Pansy shrieked, shying away from it.

"It's…nice." Millicent said, obviously freaked out by it as well.

"It won't bite you, Pansy. Her name is Arista and she won't bite unless I tell her to. She'll be in her small tank anyways when we're in classes and when we're sleeping. The rest of the time she'll be on my arm." Aura said, stroking Arista's head.

"I still don't want it too close to me." Pansy grumbled. Aura rolled her eyes at her and said,

"I'm going to go and see the rest of the team. I want to see when we'll start practice."

Aura exited the compartment and walked to find Marcus Flint and his friends.

"Hi Marcus." She said, sliding into the compartment where the team was.

"Aura, you're here, good. I have a whole new training schedule. I'm sure all of you are going to be on the team again. Especially Malfoy, that kid is a good Chaser."

"When do we start practice?" Bethany Hanson asked.

"Soon. We'll have to ask Madam Hooch tonight if we can book the Quidditch Pitch for the rest of the week. We'll train nearly every night. It's Wood's last year as captain so we'll probably need all the tricks in the book to beat him. Um…Aura? What's that?" He asked pointing to the black head showing itself from under her sleeve.

"It's my new familiar. I got permission from Dumbledore to bring it. Look." She said, pulling the snake out gently.

"A snake?" Bethany Hanson asked, a mild look of disgust and fear on her face.

"It's a coral snake. Her name is Arista and don't worry she won't bite." Aura said, smiling at all their astonished faces.

"It is a cool pet." Flint said, mildly surprised. "I guess the fact that you can speak to it makes it even cooler. Are you taking it to classes?"

"No, I can't. I can take her anywhere except the classrooms."

"Wicked. This will scare some of the Gryffindors to death. Especially those squealing girls." Adrian Pucey said, reaching out to pet Arista.

"I'm going back to Draco's compartment. I'll see you guys later." Aura said, picking up her snake and walking back. It was dark outside and they were nearing Hogwarts.

The train lurched as Aura entered the compartment, causing her to fall into Draco's lap.  
"Sorry, Draco." Aura said as he helped her sit down in the darkness.

"What's going on?" Pansy asked nervously, wishing she were sitting next to a boy she could cuddle with.

A large cloaked figure entered the compartment and it spread its decayed hands towards Aura who leaned against Draco as he wrapped his arms around her.

Suddenly, Aura could see the compartment no longer; instead she saw her worst memories over and over again, a feeling of hopelessness washing over her. She buried her face into Draco's shirt and tried to stop shaking as she heard the sound of a dagger cutting flesh and the screaming of children and infants.

It moved towards Aura for a split second, but then glided back out just as both Flint and Bethany Hanson ran in. Silently, Bethany put her arm around Aura's shoulders and guided her outside again as she shook and tears streamed down her face. Both of them hid Aura well enough that no one else could see her.

They led her to the prefect compartment where the bronze-haired boy was sitting in, pulling on his cloak. Aura was absolutely mortified.

"Are you ok?" Bethany asked, sitting her down.  
"I'm fine." Aura answered, coloring.

"What the hell was the thing that stopped the train?" The boy asked angrily.

"Dementor, Diggory." Flint told him coldly, turning to Aura.

"You're the girl from Diagon Alley who was looking up the curses and hexes." The boy said, recognizing her.  
Aura nodded at him as both Bethany and Flint gave her incredulous looks.

"I'm Cedric Diggory."

"Aura. It's nice to meet you." She said, smiling weakly at him.  
"This is just fucking perfect that the train gets stopped and it's raining like--"  
"I'm sure Professor Snape will be very displeased to hear the language you're using in front of his daughter." Flint informed him as Cedric paled.

"Can you just not--"  
"I won't mention it, Cedric, don't worry." Aura said, giving him a tiny smile.

"You're staying in the prefect compartment so that Bethany can get you to the hospital wing and I'll inform your father about the incident." Flint ordered, sounding much like he did on the Quidditch Pitch.

Aura nodded and was extremely thankful she had worn a black cloak with dark colors underneath so she wasn't that noticeable.

"Come on, we're here." Bethany said, leading her down from the train.


	37. Chapter 37

Aura was led into a carriage with a man who looked worn and was wearing patched robes and a dilapidated suitcase. Bethany jumped into the carriage as well and told the driver to get to Hogwarts immediately.

"What the hell was that thing on the train?" Aura asked, trying not to remember some of the memories it had brought up.

"A dementor. One of the Azkaban guards. Here, eat some chocolate it will help." The man said, handing them a large piece of chocolate each. Aura grew even paler as he said this. Her father had been in Azkaban and he had to feel this every day? He had been there for about a year until he was proved innocent. It must have been torture.

"You look familiar…" The man trailed off.

"Me?" Aura asked confused.

"Yes. Well, I guess I've seen so many faces that all seem familiar." The man confessed as Aura and Bethany exchanged glances.

"What is your name?" He asked motioning to Aura.

"Aurelia Snape. I go by Aura, though." She said, shaking his hand.

"I am Professor Lupin, your new DADA teacher. You said your surname was Snape?"

"Yes."

"I knew your father. I used to go to school with him, actually. We weren't exactly the best of friends." He said, laughing.

"Have any of you seen a red, black, and yellow coral snake? I lost mine." Aura asked, as Lupin furrowed his brow.

"I thought those weren't allowed."

"The headmaster said I could have her at Hogwarts as long as she didn't bite anyone. Her name is Arista." Aura said looking around.

She was still freezing inside the carriage and she saw two dementors guarding the entrance to the school. They hurriedly entered and various warming and drying charms were cast on them as they entered the school.

"I think Hermione's found your snake…" Ron said, turning around to look at Hermione who had gone deathly white at having a snake on her arm. Aura grabbed her quickly and put her in her pocket.

Aura was examined by Pomfrey upon arriving and sent to her dorm for rest. Aura didn't feel very tired though so she chose to instead sit in front of the fire and wait for the first years to come in.

When her father gave his welcoming speech she noticed something. A shy first-year was standing in the corner, looking down at her shoes and never even looking up as tears slid down her face.

"What's wrong?" Aura asked, walking over to her and putting a hand on her should.

"I don't fit in." She said, looking up at Aura.

"You do fit in. The Sorting Hat put you in Slytherin for a reason. You belong here."

"Who are you?" She asked, looking at her cautiously.

"Aura. I'm Professor Snape's daughter."

"He's scary." She whispered, as Aura laughed.

"Trust me his bark is worse than his bite." She said, getting a small smile from the little girl.

"What's your name?"

"Annabelle Johnson. I was born in America but my parents moved here to England a few years ago."

"That's nice. I've never been across the ocean, but it must be pretty cool. During the summer my father sometimes takes me to our different manors in other countries across Europe."

"What about your mum?"

"She was murdered when I was six. I saw her die, I thought my father was dead as well until I was reassured he was just unconscious." Aura said, with a faraway look in her eyes.

"My mum left my dad. She hates him and me. She was a witch and my dad's a muggle. She left when I was four, after we had moved to England."

"You're a half-blood?"

"Yes. Nearly everyone here is a pure-blood, aren't they?"

"My father and I are half-bloods as well. No one would dare mess with me. They know I have a temper to rival my father's. Would you like to meet my pet? She won't bite, I promise."

"Okay! Where is she?" Annabelle said, her face lighting up. Aura pushed up her sleeve, revealing Arista.

"Her name is Arista. She promised me she wouldn't bite anyone."

"You can understand her?"

"I'm related to Salazaar Slytherin. He was a Parselmouth and my father and I are too. I need you to keep this a secret though. I don't want the other first-years to be afraid of me."

"I promise I won't say anything." She said, reaching out a hand and slowly touching Arista's head.

"_Who isss this human?"_

"_Arista, she isss a friend of mine. Her name iss Annabelle Johnson. Sshe iss lonely."_

"_I will be nice to her. Will sshe pet me?"_

"_Yess. Sshe iss afraid of you, though. Be very cautious." Aura hissed quietly._

"Wow! You can talk to her!" Annabelle said, looking at her in awe.

"Remember, Annabelle, you can't tell anyone. Horrible things happened last year and I don't want anyone else to be afraid of me. I was nearly blamed for those things, until I was taken as well. If Harry Potter hadn't rescued me, I'd be dead." Aura said.

"What happened?"

"A huge sixty-foot snake called a basilisk petrified several muggle-borns from different houses except for the Slytherins. A girl named Ginny Weasley was possessed by something and she came looking for me one day. She grabbed me so hard that I couldn't get free and opened a chamber known as the Chamber of Secrets. She pushed me into it and jumped down as well. She only let go of me when the thing possessing her was outside of her. She was extremely scared and passed out. I saw a diary next to her and foolishly touched it. I felt like I was being drained of all strength and I fainted. I woke up when Harry Potter destroyed the thing that possessed Ginny. We were both covered in blood and slime from the chamber and the basilisk lay dead next to me. Harry had slain it with just a sword. He had destroyed the diary and untied the Weasley girl." Aura said, looking at the girl to find her gaping in horror.

"Harry is a Gryffindor, though. I won't speak to him much this year, I'll just speak to him barely enough to be civil. Anna, the first rule of our House is, we present a united front. Always defend someone you see being bullied or hurt form our House."

"I understand. Thank you!" She called, rushing up the stairs to her dormitory.

Aura smiled at her and went upstairs to her dormitory as well. She put Arista in her tank and took out a mouse from the container. Arista slithered around the tank, trying to catch it, until she swallowed it whole.

"_Thank you…"_

"_You are mosst welcome…" Aura replied. _

She slipped into a deep sleep soon dreaming about both Harry and Draco. How was she going to choose between them when she cared for both of them? Even though Harry was something like a long-lost brother. And she still couldn't forget the handsome Cedric Diggory.


	38. Chapter 38

Aura soon woke up to the bright sunlight streaming in through one of the enchanted windows in the dormitory. Since no one else was yet awake she quietly walked towards her trunk and pulled out a few of her new books.

She had chosen Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures because Divination was utterly useless, as her father had put it. Many of the other students such as the older Gryffindors said it was a nice class to take a nap in. Aura just wished she could take extra potions.

This summer she had been helping her father brew the Wolfsbane potion. She had found out that he invented it awhile ago but it was costly and difficult to brew. She had only been preparing ingredients but she finally understood why her father loved potions so much.

She had been intrigued and had asked as many questions as possible about the potion until her father copied the instructions and theory out of his potions journal for her. This had definitely aroused her interest and she had a desire to get her Master's in potions.

It had been a tradition in her bloodline. Nearly every member of the Prince family had been a Potion's Mistress or Master. It was a tradition she hoped to carry on for her children to follow as well.

Her father had said that he could start mentoring her in potions so she could receive her Mastery at twenty if she decided to drop Arithmancy. He would speak to the headmaster after the first term, he had promised her.

Her first lesson today was Arithmancy and then Transfiguration, followed by Care of Magical Creatures.

Aura showered and pulled on her uniform also spending about fifteen minutes fixing her hair. She decided on a small dark green bow that nearly blended in with her hair because of the dark shade of it. It pulled her too-long fringe away from her face nicely.

Aura had also spent awhile fixing her schoolbag. She had gotten some pins of muggle celebrities in the town near her manor and had some of them pinned to her bag. There were a few that were custom made of her and Draco riding together. She was dressed all black and Draco in all white.

Aura could clearly remember that summer. The summer she had befriended the little girl known as Susan Pansy Jones. The little muggle girl from America who had later come over to dinner with her parents. She would have had great potential had she been a witch. There was still time and hope though.

Aura looked at her watch and seeing it was nearly time to go down for breakfast she started on her way to the Great Hall. She could hear Millicent and the others arguing over who got what first. She personally couldn't care less if she went first or last.

Aura entered the Great Hall and sat down with the Quidditch team. They were accustomed to her and Draco sitting together but said nothing about it. They started discussing tactics and strategies again until the conversation was somehow directed towards dating and kissing. Bethany and Aura started giggling when Cedric Diggory entered.

Cedric Diggory was a drop-dead gorgeous Hufflepuff student and he was three years ahead of her. In his sixth year, he was the most handsome out of his entire House and only he rivaled Draco in the looks department.

Like many others he hadn't paid Aura too much attention. He probably forgot her sorting three years ago but Aura was still determined to try. She was planning to ask him how Arithmancy class with Professor Vector was and then start asking him for extra help.

She drank only a few sips of pumpkin juice and water and then used a mint to clear her breath of it. She wasn't going to chance having anything in her teeth so she could just eat later at lunchtime. Seeing Cedric get up she got up as well only giving a farewell to Bethany who knew what she was doing.

Aura caught up with him as soon as they were out of the Great Hall and stopped him.

"Hi I've seen you taking Arithmancy and I just wanted to ask what it was like?" Aura said, mentally cursing herself for sounding like one of those cheesy survey people.

"Um, pretty cool, I guess. I'm Cedric Diggory." He said, shaking her hand.

"Aura."

"You look a lot like one of the professors. Weren't you one of the parselmouths in the school last year?"

"Yeah, I was." Aura said subtly avoiding the question about her father. She didn't want to scare him off yet.

"That's wicked!" He said, grinning. "Everyone associates them with the Dark Arts but that's rubbish. Going back to your question about Arithmancy, it's pretty complicated for some people but if you're good at muggle Arithmetic then you're going to do okay in it. I can safely say I have some of the highest marks out of the four Houses."

"Well maybe if I don't do well you could possibly tutor me?"

"Definitely. I'm always there in the Hufflepuff common room if you need me. I have to go to class. Bye Aura." He said giving her a dazzling smile. Aura smiled back and replied,

"Bye."

She walked to her class and found that she unfortunately had this class with the Gryffindors. She quickly took her seat next to Draco and they started skimming over their texts as they waited, neither one saying a word to the other.

Aura wondered how Draco could have changed so much over the summer. He now apparently hated her. Draco meanwhile, was thinking that she had betrayed him by talking to the 6th year Hufflepuff that she had been talking to this morning.

The class passed without too much interruption and soon it was time for Slytherin and Hufflepuff Transfiguration. Aura made her way towards the classroom and she listened as McGonagall lectured them on Animagi. Everyone watched with glee as she transformed from a tabby cat with spectacle marks to the Professor they all loved and feared.

There was a great response of applause and Aura found herself applauding with the rest of the class. If she could learn how to do that, she would do it all the time to be alone. She would have to ask her father if he too was an Animagus.

Soon it was time for lunch and, after that, their first ever Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Lunch was silent affair and soon they were all heading down the sloping lawns and towards Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden forest. They went into the forest, enough so that they were surrounded by a few trees, and soon Hagrid was pulling out some of the strangest creatures Aura had ever seen.

Apparently it was a hippogriff and Hagrid was asking them to open their books.

"How do we open our books?" Aura asked, pulling out her copy of _The Monster Book of Monsters, _which she had bound shut with a very tightly-tied purple and black ribbon.

"Hasn'---hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked, looking crestfallen. The class shook their heads in the affirmative no.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em." Hagrid said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

He took Hermione Granger's copy and ripped the Spellotape off of it. He ran a gentle finger down his spine and then the book shivered, fell open, and lay harmlessly in his hand.

At seeing this Aura did the same, ignoring Draco and his comments about it. He sneered at Hagrid as he insulted the choice of books. Aura hit him lightly on the arm and shook her head. If Draco got into trouble on their first day back then his father would no doubt be furious.

Hagrid called Harry to come forth and Aura watched in horror as he bowed, petted, and flew on the hippogriff.

"You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute?" Draco said moving forth.

"Draco no!" Aura yelled pulling him back by his arm as the hippogriff lunged towards Draco.

Unfortunately, when Aura pulled him back the hippogriff's talons slashed through her arm and she cried out, falling to her knees. Hagrid wrestled the animal back into its collar and was very, very pale by now.

Draco had watched these proceedings with a horrified expression on his face. It was his fault. He had angered the beast and Aura had tried to save him, which she did, getting herself hurt in the process.

"I'll take her to the infirmary." Draco said, putting an arm around her waist. He led her out in silence, trying not to look at the deep gash in her arm.

When they were halfway up to the castle Draco interrupted the silence saying,

"You shouldn't have done that. I deserved to get hurt, Aura. Why did you help me if I've been such a bloody prat to you all summer?"

"Dragon," Aura said, reaching up and pushing his fringe out of his eyes. "You know I couldn't just let you suffer. Besides, it doesn't really hurt that much." Aura concluded, trying not to cry from the stinging pain in her arm.

"It looks deep." Draco said.

"It's nothing."

They walked in silence for a bit more and when they were nearly there Aura tripped over a large rock, falling backwards, as Draco caught her just before she hit the ground.

"Thanks Dragon." She moaned, clutching her leg.

Without a doubt Draco knew she was badly hurt and couldn't walk up to the infirmary. He scooped Aura up in his arms and walked towards the school. Aura, being too tired and in too much pain to care let herself be carried.

Upon seeing her robes splattered with blood, some of which had gotten on Draco too, she ordered her into bed immediately. Draco laid her down and watched from a chair as Madam Pomfrey protested about dangerous classes.

"Where exactly did this happen?" She asked, gesturing towards her arm.

"Care of Magical Creatures. Damn hippogriffs." Aura said, wincing as the medi-witch cleaned the wound. She later moved on to her leg and looked at her in surprise.

"Where did this happen, young lady?"

"Rocks. I was walking up here with Draco and I slipped. He caught me before I got hurt even worse and carried me here." Aura said, turning a light pink as she said the last part.

"Mr. Malfoy! Go get Professor Snape immediately! He needs to bring me a few potions. Don't come back when you tell him to come. You need to get down for dinner." Madam Pomfrey said, fixing him with a stern glare.

Draco mumbled a barely audible 'yes' and left, quickly. Madam Pomfrey slipped Aura a sleeping potion and transfigured her clothes into hospital pajamas.

Aura slipped into blissful unconsciousness, remembering only a slight tugging on her arm as she slept.


	39. Chapter 39

Aura stayed in the hospital wing until the following Thursday. Her ankle was healed and so was her arm, but she had to be very careful, so Madam Pomfrey had put bandages around her arm and it was now in a sling.

Unfortunately, it was her right arm and she couldn't write with her other one. Draco offered to copy down everything twice for her, though. She came into class that day about half an hour through Double Potions.

Her father gave her a calculating look and nodded towards the seat next to Ron where Harry was sitting on the other side. Aura sat down in the middle as Ron scowled at her and Harry simply looked away.

"Professor," Aura said, respectfully, "I need help cutting up the roots and skinning the shrivelfig"

"Weasley, Potter, help her with whatever she needs." He said, glaring at them.

She passed her shrivelfig to Ron and gave the daisy roots to Harry. Ron finished quickly, as did Harry and she dropped them in the cauldron accordingly. Aura tuned everyone else out, concentrating solely on her potion, and when class was nearly over she smirked at Hermione. Hermione had helped Neville fix his potion when her father told her not to and lost Gryffindor five points.

She headed down to the Great Hall for lunch, and Draco insisted on carrying her bag all the way there. She was stopped just before the doors by the 'trio'.

"So, you're laying it on real thick, aren't you? Trying to get Hagrid fired?" Ron said, his face nearly as red as his hair.

"Leave her alone, Weasley. If the oaf is fired then it's all for the best. He's incompetent anyways. My father heard, you know. He's been complaining to the school governors. Our families have been friends from way back. All the way to the time Hogwarts was founded." Draco said, stepping in front of Aura.

"Yeah, I bet your fathers were Death Eaters together!" Ron yelled, pulling out his wand.

"Don't you dare! You know nothing Weasley! You're just another ignorant Gryffindor!" Aura said, trying to pull out her wand but Draco beat her to it.

"One more word, Weasley! One more word and I'll make you wish you'd never been born!" Draco said in deadly whisper. The two glared at each other for awhile more and then Aura pulled Draco towards the Great Hall with her good arm.

* * *

Soon they were heading towards their Defense class. When everyone was there, Lupin said,

"Leave your things here. This is going to be a practical lesson so you will only be needing your wands. Follow me." Aura gripped her wand in her good hand and Draco followed behind her, unconsciously putting a hand on her arm.

They entered the staffroom and Lupin began to talk about boggarts. He indicated a shaking wardrobe and explained a boggart was in there.

Aura saw her father watching in amusement from a corner of the staffroom and Neville was called up first. Aura watched in astonishment as the boggart turned into her father. Neville raised his wand slowly and said, _"R-r-riddikulus!"_

Where her father once stood in his black robes, he was now in a grandmother's clothes. The class roared with laughter and Aura cautiously looked at her father as he scowled at them all. He strode from the classroom robes billowing behind him as he left.

Aura came up to face the boggart next and when she did, it took the shape of a masked killer with a bloody dagger in his hand.

"_R-riddikulus!"_ Aura said, imagining a muggle ghost costume with a lollipop in its hand.

* * *

After that fateful DADA class her father was in a very vindictive mood in his classes.

Soon it was Halloween and time to go to Hogsmeade. Aura had heard that Harry was staying behind and she too told her father she was staying. He had looked at her suspiciously but then told her it was fine and if she wanted to come later then she could ask one of the teachers left to take her. Aura nodded her approval and then left.

Draco had tried to persuade her to stay and she had denied, but he had still promised to bring her joke products and every kind of sweet he could find. She had smiled at him and then left.

Now, Aura found herself at Lupin's door. She knocked and the door opened soon.

"Professor. Harry." She said, nodding towards them. Her father had asked her to bring Lupin his potion which he still wouldn't tell Aura about.

"I brought your potion, Professor." She said, handing him the goblet.

"Yes, yes. Thank you." He said, downing it in one gulp. "Pity sugar makes it useless."

"Aura why are you here? I thought you'd be in Hogsmeade with everyone else." Harry said.

"I didn't want to go. I actually was looking for you, though. Those two idiot Gryffindors following you around with a camera last year nearly had a heart-attack when they saw me." Aura said, sitting down next to Harry.

"You two know each other?" Lupin asked in surprise.

"We met on the Hogwarts Express in our first year after Malfoy had called her a Mudblood." Harry said, while Aura bristled at the horrible name.

"I would've hexed him into oblivion if I hadn't promised my father I wouldn't use any of the curses I'd read about in the summer. Actually, I promised him I wouldn't use magic at all until I was learning it here."

"Why did he call you that?" Lupin asked, curiously.

"Draco was showing off for his friends. Apparently, he thought it was fine to call me that. He knows I'm actually a half-blood but, my family is more powerful than his."

"I knew your father in school, he hated that too. You're a lot like your father. The only thing is that he hated any Potters and Gryffindors. Apparently you're friends with them."

"I'm only friends with Harry. The others are backstabbers. I have to go professor. I think I see Draco coming. Bye." Aura said, getting up and leaving.

* * *

Aura and Draco ate a few sweets and drank some butterbeer that he had brought back. She promised him she'd go next time and then they went down to the feast.

As was traditional, every year the feast was full of sweets and candy and other such goodies. They were walking back to their common rooms when they were ordered back to the Great Hall by Professor McGonagall. Sirius Black had been trying to get into Gryffindor tower!

Aura stayed close to Draco, scared of what would happen if she was alone when she met Sirius Black. Everyone was ordered to sleep in the Great Hall and Aura had a very hard time falling asleep.

* * *

The next morning Aura was walking to breakfast when she spotted Cedric with Hannah Abbott and Ernie MacMillan.  
"Cedric!" She called, walking over to him.

"Hey, Aura." He said as Hannah watched the whole thing fearfully and she ran to the Great Hall when Aura turned her gaze on her.

"Do you think you could tutor me in Arithmancy the day after the Quidditch match?"

"Sure. Come look for me in my common room."

"Thanks. I'm rubbish at it. I might be a bit late so if you're not in the common room I'll just ask around."

"Sure. Look I have to go, but I'll see you Sunday, then?"

"Yeah. Sunday." Aura said, giving him a quick smile and going into the Great Hall.

* * *

On Saturday Aura went out to the Quidditch Pitch wrapped in her cloak and watched the game. She cheered as Cedric caught the snitch, but watched horrified as Harry dropped to the ground.

She saw him being lifted onto a stretcher and being levitated towards the hospital wing. Unknown to anyone else, when she had gone to get her arm unbandaged she left him several sugar quills and an unsigned card for him.


	40. Chapter 40

The day after the match she helped her father brew some potions until about one hour before lunch. She bid him goodbye with the excuse that she was going to study and would eat later.

Aura then grabbed her black embellished school bag and walked towards the Hufflepuff common room, where she ran into Hannah Abbott. Their common room was located near the entrance to the kitchens, so she had heard, but she couldn't see the kitchens anywhere.

"Hannah!" Aura called, motioning towards her.

"Yes?" She asked, nervously.

"I'm looking for Cedric. Cedric Diggory."

"He's inside, I'll get him for you." She said, nearly narrowing her eyes in suspicion. She went inside the common room, as Aura had caught her just before she entered and a few minutes later Cedric emerged, wearing black attire except for his shirt which was yellow.

"Hey."

"Hi. Ready to go?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah. Do you have your books?""

"Right here."

"Let's go then."

"Mind if I choose the place to study?"

"Um, not at all, go ahead." Cedric said, and started following Aura. He followed her outside towards the trees in front of the lake and sat down under the tallest one. Seeing his look of confusion she explained,

"It's my favorite spot. I always come out here to study."

"This is nice. I expected something different, though."

"Like what?"

"Well I see all those other girls obsessed with their make-up and hair all the time that they wouldn't go outside if it killed them. I've heard many of them complain about sitting on the grass or dirt and they hate getting their hands dirty with potions ingredients. They even hate Quidditch and I didn't think that was even possible!" Cedric said, finishing with a laugh while Aura smiled slightly.

"Cedric, you just described Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode to me again. I constantly have to hear them complaining about preparing potions ingredients and Quidditch. Pansy nearly had a stroke when I came inside one day right after Quidditch practice with my hair just ruffled!"

"So that's not you then? You hate that stuff?"

"I like looking good of course, but I don't mind sitting on the grass preparing potions, or flying on my broom."

"Good, I like that about you. You don't follow the crowd."

"Definitely not." Aura said, as he started to explain the basic theory of Numerology again. After he had explained it about ten more times Aura finally said,

"I just don't get this!"

"Just try again, it's easy."

"I'm so dropping this for an apprenticeship."

"What do you want to get your Master's in?"

"Potions. Everyone in my family has gotten their Master's, at least on my father's side of the family. I want to get it too."

"You do know you're going to have to be Snape's apprentice right? As brilliant as the man is, he has a downright nasty temper sometimes."

"I know I have to be my father's apprentice."

"Your-your father?" Cedric said, his eyes growing wide.

"Yeah I inherited his love and talent for potions apparently. I was helping him brew Lupin's potion this morning."

"I hear that's a pretty advanced potion. Do you think you could help me?"

"You're a fifth year though. Aren't you good at potions?"

"No way. I absolutely stink at them."

"Well, then, I guess I could help you out a bit. Lend me your text so I can see what potions you're doing in class. We'll go page-by-page so when my father does them you'll already know the basics and he won't be able to take away too many points from Hufflepuff because of a ruined potion." Aura finished with a smirk.

"He doesn't take that many from my House, but he favors Ravenclaw."

"My grandmother was in Ravenclaw, that's why he favors their House." Aura explained.

"You can always find me in my common room, actually I think I'll come down to yours tomorrow if that's alright?"

"Great, I'll see you then, Cedric." Aura said, packing her stuff in her bag and throwing it over her shoulder.

Aura rushed down to the dungeons, throwing her bag on her bed and hissing,

"_Arista! Arista wake up! I need to tell you something!"_

"_You have ignored me."_

"_I'm sorry Arista, I really am! I hurt my arm so I had to stay in the hospital wing for awhile. I hope someone fed you."_

"_They did, but they could not understand me."  
"I really am sorry Arista. I just wanted to tell you that I want you to stay on my wrist at all times from now on. There was a break-in the other day and I really want you to be safe. I won't let any of the teachers see you so I can't talk to you during class. At meals I can, though, and I'll take you with me when I go with Cedric to study."_

"_Cedric…Cedric Diggory?"_

"_Yess, why?"_

"_I have heard the others talking about him, there is a plot to get him."_

"_I know. Everyone is obsessed with him because he's oh so cute. I think he likes me. I was with him today, studying."_

"_And you didn't think to bring me?"_

"_Um…sorry?"_

"_I will forgive you if you bring me next time."_

"_Of course, Arista. I just finished telling you you're not leaving my sight until Sirius Black is caught."_

"_Then you are forgiven, Domina*."_

"_What does Domina mean?"_

"_You will find out soon."_

"_Come on Arista, wrap yourself around my wrist. We're going somewhere."_

"_Hopefully nowhere near potions. My species is used in those."_

"_You'd never be used as a potions ingredient unless you really piss my father off."_

"_That is helpful. Just drop me somewhere now so I can die!"_

"_Come on, Arista!"_

"_Fine." She muttered resentfully. _

Aura rolled her eyes at her snake's immature behavior and held out her wrist as her familiar wrapped around it. She knew for sure that today had been amazing and she had feelings for Cedric, Draco and Harry long forgotten. She no longer felt anything more than brother-sister love for them. But would it last?


	41. Chapter 41

Aura and Cedric met each other in the library every Sunday and one day they just met up there for no reason.

"Can't you tell your dad to lighten up on the workload?" Cedric asked once they had opened their books.

"Sorry, I can't." Aura said, smiling playfully at him.

"Why don't we talk instead of studying today, maybe get to know each other better?" Cedric said, sitting much closer to her than before.

"Like twenty questions?"  
"You know that game?"

"I know a lot of stuff about muggles."

"Well, sort of like the game, yes." Cedric answered.

"What's your favorite color?" Aura asked first.  
"Blue. What's your favorite animal?"

"Horse. What's your favorite food?"

"Pizza. What's your favorite color?"

"Blue. What's your favorite animal?"

"We're just repeating each other's questions." Cedric pointed out when Aura asked him a question he already asked her.

"It was your idea." Aura retorted.

"How about just answering normal questions?" Cedric said, his hazel eyes looking into hers.

"Okay." Aura said, nearly breathless.  
"Do you like Quidditch?"

"I love it. Slytherin's star Seeker, remember?" Aura said playfully.

They continued talking until it was soon late and Aura asked a very provocative question.

"How do you feel about me? Are we friends or just acquaintances?" Aura added, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.  
"Does this answer your question?" Cedric asked.

Cedric lowered his lips to hers and wrapped his arms around her waist. He began kissing her passionately and Aura was still numb from shock when he finally let her go.

"I have to go." Aura said, taking her bag and leaving the library as quickly as possible. She never noticed a very hurt and shocked Draco standing behind Cedric in the shadows.

Aura walked down to the Slytherin dormitories and, making sure no one was around, lay down on her bed and tried to calm the roaring feelings within her.

She liked Cedric, but was it as a friend or more. She had a major crush on him weeks before but it had died down. Draco was more of a best friend than anything else and Harry was like her brother. She had no idea what to do.

No, she had to admit she did like Draco. Draco was her best friend, the one she knew everything about. She knew his dreams, his secrets, and his faults. They had known each other since they were younger than she could remember.

Cedric however, Cedric was a mystery. He was sixteen and gorgeous, but she had no idea of who he really was. Aura didn't know what went on behind those hazel eyes.

She went to find Cedric, thinking he must be hurt after her quick escape from the library. She found him outside by the trees of the Forbidden Forest with a few of his friends. It was dark outside and Aura was scared to get anywhere near the Forest after her experiences with it.

"Cedric! Cedric!" Aura called to him, hurrying before she lost her nerve. "I need to talk to you."

"Go on up to the castle, you guys. We'll go up soon." Cedric said, pulling her just inside the trees. "I'm sorry about today." Cedric said, looking guilty. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that I don't want to ruin our friendship. I really like you, Aura." Cedric told her, looking into her eyes.  
"I came here to say I'm sorry I ran off. It was my first kiss Cedric, but it was so unexpected that I ran." Aura explained, trying to make him see she did like him.

"Is there someone else?" Cedric asked, slightly hurt.

"My best friend that I realized he is only my best friend and nothing more. I like you Cedric. A lot." Aura told him.  
"Will you run this time." He asked, his voice strong and husky.

"No." Aura whispered as he kissed her gently this time, his hands going through her hair as Aura put her arms around his neck.

As they were intertwined a long, low howl reverberated through the forest.

"What was that?" Aura asked nervously.

"Werewolf. Run!" Cedric told her, taking hold of her forearm as he led her to a path under the Whomping Willow.

"Get in!" Cedric told her, pressing a knot in the center of the tree which made the branches stop.

Aura got in quickly, going halfway down the tunnel, letting Cedric shift some of the large rocks so that the werewolf couldn't get down there.

"I think we're safe now." Cedric told her before they heard another growl and saw a werewolf at the other end struggling to get up the tunnel.

Aura screamed before edging back towards the wall and Cedric started piling stones up there as well. Since the tunnel was built on top of water it started to flood but only up to their knees. Aura sat down, completely exhausted and let Cedric pull her onto his lap as they waited to be rescued.

"How are we getting back, Cedric?" Aura asked, frightened of being trapped between two werewolves.

"I don't know." Cedric answered, holding her closer as he heard the stones being moved.

A/N:

What do you think of this version of my story? Is it better? There will be a lot more Cedric/Aura in this story than the original.

Read and Review please, also sorry this chapter is so short.


	42. Chapter 42

As the stones were shifted, Aura tightened her hold on Cedric, only letting go a bit when she heard her father's voice coming from above.

"I've got you, Aura." Cedric said, carrying her out of the tunnel and back to the castle under her father's disapproving stare.

* * *

Aura awoke in her father's quarters and after a long lecture he finally changed the subject.

"Are you dating Diggory, Aura?" Her father asked, making Aura nearly choke on her breakfast.

"Sort of." Aura answered uncomfortably, knowing she couldn't lie to her father.

"From the way he kissed you before he finally put you down I would say it is obvious." Severus said, not liking the boy at all.

"I have to go Daddy." Aura said, making it clear the topic was closed.

After Aura left, Severus sat on the couch, not knowing what to do. His daughter was dating the Diggory boy. Severus had overheard the rumors passed in the school that the boy had one girl one day and another the next. Would Aura be like this? Would she have her heart broken by this idiot? Severus vowed that if Diggory ever hurt Aura he wouldn't live to regret it.

* * *

One day when harry was talking about his broomstick with Professor Lupin he brought up the Dementors.

"How can you defend yourself against Dementors?"

"It's not something everyone can do, that's why most in Azkaban go mad in weeks. They're all incapable of a single cheerful thought. I imagine the only thing that kept one of your professors sane when he was in Azkaban was the thought that his family was waiting for him at home." Lupin said, giving Harry a knowing look.

"You mean Snape." Harry said dryly.

"You like his daughter, don't you Harry?" Lupin asked.

"Yes. I barely know her though. Well, I know her, but not anything about her. She's a mystery." Harry finished.

"I can tell you this she has her mother's beauty and radiance along with her personality. She looks like her father and has his temper though." Lupin said chuckling.

"I wonder what her family looked like." Harry mused.

"This is her mother." Lupin said, showing Harry a picture.

Harry gasped at the sheer beauty of the woman in the picture. She had curly blonde hair with ocean blue eyes and was standing next to a man with dark hair and eyes. She was laughing and she kissed him on the cheek as the wind blew their hair around.

"Is that Snape?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Before Azkaban. This is after Azkaban." Lupin said, showing him another picture.

The woman was still beautiful as ever but she looked crushed as though there was no happiness in the world. She was wearing an ice blue dress and her hair was pulled back with a bow. Her eyes lit up as the dark haired man appeared behind her and she threw herself in his arms, crying. A young child was on the loveseat she had been sitting on and Harry realized that it was Aura, reaching for her father.

"They loved each other very much Harry. When she died part of him died with her. I took these pictures when Dumbledore had me spy on them." Lupin explained sadly.

"She's beautiful, what was her name?"

"Katherine Evelyn Davis. Severus thought she was a muggle until she told him she was a witch studying in America. She was American though. Her family was part French as well." Lupin said, looking distant.

"Did you--"

"I never loved her, Harry. She was a friend. She knew your mother as well, they used to be best friends until Katherine broke away from them because she was jealous of Lily."

"Why was she jealous?"

"That, I cannot tell you." Lupin said evasively.

* * *

Christmas morning soon came and Aura was woken up by an excited, energetic little first-year.

"Happy Christmas!" Annabelle said as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Anna! What time is it?" Aura asked, looking around for her watch.

"It's nearly eight! Come on! I wanna go open presents!"

"Give me about fifteen minutes to be properly awake, please." Aura said, groaning again.

"I'll be in the common room! Hurry!" She said, running down the stairs with such energy that Aura envied her. What she wouldn't give to be eleven again! To be in her first year at Hogwarts, starting over. She was still only thirteen but there were so many classes.

"_Such an energetic little one…" Arista hissed. _

"_Arista…I forgot about you for a second there…Do you want to come down with me, or would you rather sleep?"_

"_I want to go with you Domina…I'm hungry anyways…"_

"_Arista…Don't frighten the girl…Anna is scared it iss her first year here and she iss not at home with family…"_

"_I will behave for you, Domina…"_

"_Can you tell me what that meanss?"_

"_Not yet…let yourself get used to it, firsst…"_

"_Fine…I'll be back in a few minutes…"_

Aura rushed through her shower and put on her green long-sleeved dress that went down to her knees. She slipped on some black tights that would keep her warm and a pair of green boots that matched the dress.

She wore the black choker that Draco had given her last Valentine's Day and left her hair down. She hadn't cut her hair for quite awhile so it now reached nearly to her knees. It looked like a black waterfall cascading down her back, as it was now slightly wavy. Her bangs hadn't grown out yet, so she simply clipped them back with a green clip.

As she was about to leave she put her hand into Arista's tank so she could slither onto her arm. Once she did, Aura made her way downstairs. Since no one else from Slytherin House was staying during the holidays, Aura and Anna had the common room all to themselves.

"Wow, you look really pretty." Anna said, a hint of her shyness from before returning. Aura took in the other girl's appearance and saw she was in an old dress and her shoes were slightly worn.

"There's no reason why you can't look the same, Anna. Would you like a makeover?"

"Yes! I'd love one!" She said, her eyes widening with delight.

"Follow me then." Aura said, walking back upstairs to her dormitory.

"_Arista…I am going to let you free in the dorm room but do not get too close to me and Anna…I don't want any of the charms, spells, or various make-up products to hurt you…I also don't want you to frighten her…"_

"_I understand, Domina…I will stay clear of you both until you tell me sso…"_

Aura sat Anna down on her bed and started to go through her trunk. She found several outfits that would go with Anna's skin color perfectly and started to separate them into a pile.

"Anna what color do you want to wear, green, red, or one of them combined with silver? Or would you like both combined?"

"I want to look like you!" She said, delight filling her face. Aura gave her a small smile and found the perfect robes for her.

There was a dress which had silver embroidery on the neckline, sleeves, and hem of the dress. It had a black design mixed in with the silver and ankle-length button-up boots went with it, instead of the knee-length ones Aura was wearing, giving it a more childish look. The tights were, of course, black and a silver jewelry set went perfectly with it. The outer robe had a silver snake clasp and it was black.

"Come here, Anna you're going to look stunning in this." Aura said, motioning to her.

For about an hour, Aura helped her into the clothes and put her jewelry on. It took an additional three hours to do her hair and make-up. In the end, Aura settled on curling her dark mahogany hair so that it cascaded down her back in a fashion similar to hers.

Aura added a very light black eyeliner to her make-up as well as a little bit of silver eyeshadow and pink gloss to Anna. Her make-up was done with the same black eyeliner, green eyeshadow, and a darker shade of gloss.

"Look in the mirror, Anna." Aura said, walking to stand behind her.

"I look-wow-Thank you so much!" She said, hugging Aura. "No one has ever been this nice to me."

"I look at you like a little sister, now let's go open our presents."


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 44

"Shouldn't we change first?" Annabelle asked.

"Consider your outfit a small Christmas gift, your real one is downstairs."

"Thank you." She whispered, following Aura as if in a trance until they got downstairs.

They separated their gifts in two distinct piles and started unwrapping. Aura had gotten the usual sweets, clothes, books, jewelry, and other items. She looked to Anna and saw she only had around seven presents, while Aura had gotten at least twenty or more.

"Here this one is yours, it got into my pile accidentally." Anna said.

Aura took it silently and opened it to reveal tickets to the Quidditch World Cup! She looked quickly to the sender and saw it was from the Malfoys, and there was a folded-up letter inside.

_Dear Amethyst, _

_Sorry I've been such a git to you recently. I hope you like these tickets. We'll be right in the Minister's box! I sent three tickets in case you wanted to bring anyone, I hope you'll accept my apology. I should be a lot more grateful since you basically put yourself in the path of that wild hippogriff to save me. _

_Lots of Love,_

_Dragon_

Aura smiled at the use of their favorite names. Draco had really put a lot of thought into the letter. She felt a tear sliding down her cheek as she remembered how much they used to love playing together at Prince Manor, and the last Valentine's Day.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked, her voice filled with worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Anna. I was just remembering stuff, stuff that should have been buried long ago." Aura said with a sigh.

"What stuff?"

"It doesn't mater, it's all done and over with, child. Speaking of which do you like Quidditch?"

"Yes! It's amazing!"

"Would you like to go to the Quidditch World Cup with me and the Malfoys? My father will be there too." Aura said, handing the girl one of her tickets.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I'd love to go! Thank you so much!" Anna said, wrapping her arms around Aura's neck.

* * *

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with her and Cedric secretly meeting in his House common room to exchange presents. They kissed before Aura sneaked back to her dorm when she saw it was past midnight. Soon they were getting ready for the holidays to be over.

On the last day before everyone came back, Aura made her way up to the headmaster's office with her father. Corli had flat-out refused to come.

"Professor?" Aura asked, entering.

"Hello, my dear. Lemon drop?" The headmaster asked in his usual fashion as both Aura and her father shook their heads in the negative.

"No thank you, Albus. We are here to see if it is possible that Aura can drop Arithmancy and take on a apprenticeship with me, so that when she graduates she will be able to receive her Mastery immediately."

"Yes, that is possible. Professor Vector had been saying that is the only class you have a low grade in."

"I don't get it at all, Professor. I even asked one of the older students to tutor me."

"Would this student be Cedric Diggory?" The headmaster asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes sir, but how did you know?"

"It seems that Mr. Diggory had an immense improvement in Potions and I could only guess that you were the one tutoring him."

"Yes sir, I tutored Cedric and he tutored me. It was a good deal, but I just didn't understand anything he tried to explain."

"Albus, is it possible?" Her father asked, impatiently.

"Yes, Severus, it is. Aura's schedule will simply have Advanced Potions in place of Arithmancy. I do need to see how well you are doing, occasionally."

"Albus, she is so advanced that she can practically brew the Wolfsbane potion all by herself, she has been helping me brew it for Lupin every month."

"Professor Lupin is a werewolf!?" Aura yelled, surprised that she had been able to brew such a ridiculously advanced potion and scared that Lupin was a werewolf.

"Yes, Aura, Lupin is a werewolf and he is extremely dangerous without this potion." Her father said.

"Aura I will have you beginning an apprenticeship immediately and I am glad to say that you share the same talent your grandmother and father showed here. No student is supposed to know how to make such a complicated potion. Good luck, child." The headmaster said, nodding as a farewell gesture as she and her father left the office.

She stayed in her father's office long enough to ask him certain questions about the apprenticeship and then left to the common room. Unknown to anyone but her, Cedric was inside waiting for her and he wrapped his arms around her as soon as she was inside.

"How did it go?"

"Could've been better. I got the apprenticeship, though."

"You deserve it. Thanks to you I'm getting E's and A's in my potions work now instead of T's and P's and D's at my best. You're a miracle worker." Cedric said as he lifted her onto his lap.

"Ced, if my father comes inside there will be hell to pay."

"Let's go to my common room, then. There's no one there." He said huskily, kissing her neck.

"O-okay." Aura said, trying to catch her breath.

They snuck out towards the Hufflepuff common room and when they arrived, Cedric grabbed Aura's arm and led her towards the couch. They started kissing, only breaking apart for air, when the portrait hole swung open. They broke apart as soon as they caught a glimpse of Professor Sprout.

"Don't let me ruin your fun." She said cheerfully. "Be safe, whatever you do." She warned them as she flooed to the headmaster's office. They both heaved a sigh of relief and started to talk, until dinner.

Thankfully, no one noticed that they were acting awkwardly around Professor Sprout so no one questioned them and she didn't mention it again.


	44. Chapter 44

In addition to extra potions Aura soon added extra defense to her schedule. She had asked Professor Lupin and he had agreed to teach her. Harry was joining them as well. So far today's lesson was not going very well.

"Think of your happiest memory! It can't be simple it has to fill you up with happiness at the though of it!" Lupin said as they tried again, raising their wands simultaneously. So far they had tried this charm three times, but Aura refused to give up.

"Now!" Lupin yelled as they both shouted, _"Expecto Patronum!"_

Aura recalled a memory of her and Draco playing together when they were four, carefree and oblivious to everything around them. She watched in amazement as she saw a silver shadow erupt from the end of her wand and stand in between her and the dementor. It was a snake much like Arista. She would have fainted if Lupin had not chosen that moment to put it back in the padlocked trunk.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! If you don't mind me asking what memory did you think of?" Lupin said, his voiced laced with curiosity.

"I thought of a time when I was four years old and Draco and I were playing together at Prince Manor. We were annoying every adult within a mile but we were completely carefree. It's the happiest one I have." Aura said, looking up at both Lupin and Harry. She took a piece of chocolate out of her pocket and broke it in half for her and Harry as the professor already had his chocolate in his hand.

She sat back and watched the rest of the lesson until Harry was finally able to do it after his seventh try.

* * *

Aura had finally excelled in her advanced DADA lessons so it was unnecessary to have them any longer. She found herself spending more time with Cedric and Anna than ever.

Soon it was time for the Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin match. Aura was up against Cho Chang, who was Ravenclaw's Seeker. They won by only twenty points, but it was a victory nonetheless. They were now in first place for the House cup along with Hufflepuff.

She heard a while later that Gryffindor had won against Ravenclaw, putting them in second place. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Adrian Pucey had put on black, hooded robes and were now untangling themselves from where they had fallen.

When they were back in the common room, Marcus Flint started to yell at both Adrian and Draco. Aura soon joined in and simply flipped her hair over her shoulder as Draco tried to explain.

She gave him the cold shoulder for awhile after that and was woken shortly after midnight by a terrified Anna.

"Someone said that Sirius Black is back inside! We have to go to the Great Hall tonight, come on Aura." She said as Aura slipped her robe on over her nightgown.

"Where's your robe, Annabelle?"

"Don't have one." She murmured, looking down to the floor.

"Here, put it on and I'll shrink it for you, hurry!" Aura said as she grabbed Arista from her tank and pocketed her.

"_What iss going on?"_

"_Siriuss Black…He iss back and I am not going to chance losing you."_

"_Thank you, Domina…you are forever kind…" Corli hissed, sliding out of her pocket and onto her wrist. _

Aura shrunk Anna's robe and quickly went downstairs. They were met by her father who ushered them all to the Great Hall immediately.

* * *

After that night security was tightened and no one was allowed to go anywhere alone. Aura stayed behind on the last few visits.

Valentine's Day was a much more solemn affair than last year. Aura simply stayed by Cedric's side most of the day and no presents were exchanged. He treated her like a trophy that day and she was rather agitated by it.

All day long he had been parading around the school with Aura's arm locked with his. She had met nearly the entire Houses of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and was about to snap when Cedric took her into an abandoned classroom.

"What are you doing Cedric?" Aura asked as he put up privacy wards.

"Happy Valentine's Day." He said huskily before kissing her tenderly.

Aura was completely moved by this. All day long he had been treating her like a trophy but when she was about to snap he went and did this. He swept her off her feet again.


End file.
